Breaking Through
by bump-in-the-night1990
Summary: When Bill Compton breaks Sookie's heart, the successful lawyer Eric Northman is there to pick up the pieces. But when the past is thick with complications and betrayal, will Sookie ever let Eric in?   Human fic  Eric/Sookie  might be M-rated later on
1. A Second Beginning

**A/N – ****New story! Thanks for reading!**

"What the hell are you doing here?" Sookie asks as soon as she sees Eric Northman walk into the bar. Every woman in Merlotte's turns to stare at the tall, immensely attractive blond man, but Eric ignores them. His eyes never venture from Sookie.

"Sam called. Said you might need a ride home."

"I most definitely do not," Sookie says after swallowing a mouth full of gin and tonic. Her speech is slightly slurred, and she doesn't seem to notice that her dress is riding dangerously high up her tanned, smooth thigh. Eric can't help but appreciate the view. Despite a year of trying to ignore his desire for Sookie, Eric's own body constantly betrays him.

"Are you sure about that?" Eric gestures towards the many empty glasses sitting on the bar.

"I don't need a babysitter, Eric. Just maybe a cup of coffee, and then I can get myself home."

At that moment, Sam walks over, wiping his hands on a black apron. He pats Eric on the back. "Thanks for coming. We're swamped tonight. I'd take her home myself, but it'll be hours until I can get out of here."

Eric lowers his voice so that Sookie can't hear them talking. "How long has she been here?"

"Started drinking after her shift ended at four. I wanted to cut her off, but honestly, I feel like she deserves to drink away her problems for a night. After what happened with Bill, well, let's just say someone as good as Sookie doesn't deserve anything close to what that bastard did."

Eric nods his head. His stomach turns at the thought of Bill Compton, a former employee of Eric's private law firm. From the day he hired Bill, he instinctually detested him. If he hadn't been so damn good at his job- Eric would have fired him a year ago. Around that time, Bill started dating Sookie. He took her to the annual office Christmas party. When Sookie walked in the door in that bright red dress that hugged every gracious curve on her body, Eric had to use every drop of willpower he possessed not to approach her and make her his.

When Bill and Sookie got serious, she started popping in and out of the office, driving Eric mad with every pair of tiny jean shorts and tight blouse. She was disastrously unaware of how attractive she was. To hide his desire for his employee's girlfriend, Eric used the only defense he could think of- rudeness. He kept their conversations short and unfriendly. He came up with any excuse possible to avoid spending time with her. And over the year, Sookie slowly came to hate him for it.

But that was all before. It was before Bill Compton broke her heart in the most despicable way imaginable. Before he left town. Before Sookie's friends were left to pick up the pieces. When Eric heard what happened, he wanted to reach out and help somehow, but Sookie ignored all of his advances. Finally, Eric gave Sam Merlotte his number, telling him to call if there was ever anything he could ever help with. And that's how he ended up in the bar tonight with the prospect of taking home a very drunk Sookie.

"I don't want to go home with you," Sookie tells Eric. "Sam give me some coffee. I'll wait until you get off your shift."

"That won't be for hours, Sookie. Look, just do me a favor and please let Eric take you home. I can't run a bar if I'm worrying about you all night." Sam stares Sookie down with his light blue eyes until she finally relents.

"Fine. Just this once."

"Thank you." Sam turns towards Eric and holds out his hand. "And thank you."

"Not a problem," Eric says, shaking Sam's hand.

When Sam walks away, Eric turns back towards Sookie, surprised to find that she's staring straight at him. Her eyes narrow, suspicious. "I don't know why you're here."

"Sam called."

"We aren't friends. _You_ are not my friend."

"I'd like to change that."

"Why?"

Eric shrugs his shoulders. "What's wrong with having one more friend? Can't hurt, right?"

Sookie sighs, "I guess not." Her voice is still filled with suspicion, but she seems to have given up the argument for now.

"Come on let's get you home." Eric offers Sookie his hand, but she brushes it to the side.

"I can stand up by myself, thank you very much."

Sookie gets off of the stool and immediately stumbles. Eric catches her by the waist, pulling her warm, tiny body against his own. His eyes glitter with amusement. "Sure you can." He's reluctant to let go. The feeling of Sookie pressed against him, her hands clutched around his arms, is unbelievably satisfying. He wants to pull her closer, wants to reach down and kiss the soft skin on her exposed neck.

But Sookie pulls away, and he lets her. There's no good in seducing a drunk woman anyways. It always leads to trouble.

Sookie compromises by holding onto Eric's arm as he leads her out of the bar. Her steps are clumsy, and Eric has to suppress the urge to pick her up and carry her bridal-style into his black Porsche. "Nice car," Sookie comments as they approach the passenger door. "Very fancy. Just like your suit."

Eric looks down at his clothes. He came straight from a long day at court, and he's still dressed in a ridiculously overpriced suit, tailored to fit his tall body perfectly. Even though Eric sometimes feels pretentious in his clothing, he knows that the right suit makes a man seem powerful. And in his line of work, being powerful is very helpful.

"Thanks," Eric says, even though Sookie's compliment leaned towards the side of sarcastic. He opens the passenger door and helps Sookie inside. She starts fumbling with the seat belt, and laughing gently, Eric grabs the strap for her. As he leans over to buckle Sookie in, he's overwhelmed by the vicinity of their bodies, by Sookie's flower-scented perfume invading his senses. Sookie looks up to meet his eyes, and for a second, Eric thinks he sees a flicker of interest pass through her gaze. But it's gone as quickly as it came.

With no excuse to stay so close to her, Eric stands up and walks around to the other side of the car. He gets inside, puts the keys in ignition, and backs out of Merlotte's parking lot.

**A/N ****– Here's a short introduction chapter! Please review if you like it- if I get enough feedback, I'll definitely continue. This is my first "human" story of Eric/Sookie. Do you guys like the set up so far? And should I keep it all in Eric's POV or do some Sookie POV also? Thanks for the R&R! **


	2. Home

Eric drives down the long dirt lane that leads to Sookie's house. He's only been here once before. It was months ago when Sookie offered to throw a large business dinner at her home. There were some clients in town from out of the city, and Bill insisted that Sookie's large two-story plantation house would make an impressive impression on the clients. Having only met Sookie once at that point, Eric was overwhelmed by the effort she put into the dinner. The entire house was sparkling clean and lit with dozens of candles and lamps. The food was plentiful and delicious- an upscale version of good southern cooking. And Sookie, well, Sookie was stunning. The only thing distracting from her gorgeous body sheathed in its simple black dress was her charming smile that never slid off once during the entire evening.

Suffice to say, the clients were more than impressed, and they became loyal customers to the Northman & Co Firm after that night. Begrudgingly, Eric congratulated Bill on the successful evening, but both of them knew that it was Sookie who won the clients over. Eric sighs. That evening seems like it happened years and years ago, a distant yet happy memory.

Eric turns off the car, though the headlights still flood the front yard in a hazy glow. He turns towards Sookie, and smiling, sees that she's fast asleep in the passenger seat. Eric gets out of the car and walks around to the other side, his feet making tiny crunches on the gravel driveway. He opens the car door, leans over and unbuckles Sookie, and after a moment of hesitation, lifts her up into his arms. Instinctually, Sookie's arms wrap around Eric's neck, and her head rests against his strong chest.

He walks slowly up the stairs of Sookie's house, savoring the feeling of Sookie's warm body cradled in his arms. Although he hates to admit he's had much more, _lustful_, thoughts of a night with Sookie, just carrying her, having her clutched to his body is unbelievably satisfying. When he reaches the front door and finds it locked, he realizes he'll either have to wake Sookie up or rifle through her purse for keys.

At that moment, Sookie emits a tiny yawn and slowly opens her eyes. "Eric?" She asks. Her voice is thick with sleep.

"Yes?"

"Why are you carrying me?"

Eric wants to laugh at her confusion. Obviously she was even drunker than he had realized. "I'm just trying to get you home, Sookie. Remember I picked you up from the bar?"

Sookie furrows her brow. "I guess. Maybe." She looks up, straight at Eric with those large brown eyes. "You going to put me down anytime soon?"

"Right, of course." Reluctantly, Eric lowers Sookie to the ground, his body suddenly feeling unusually cold in the warm summer weather.

Sookie steadies herself, pressing one hand against Eric's arm and the other against her head. Her eyes shut and she takes a deep breath. "Why on earth did Sam let me drink so much?"

_Because your ex-boyfriend destroyed you and alcohol may be the only thing that can ease the pain. Because Bill Compton is the biggest, fucking asshole I've ever laid eyes on and as soon as I get a chance, I will beat the living daylights out of him. _Eric suppresses everything he really wants to say: "I guess Sam just didn't know your limit."

"I don't think _I _knew my limit."

Sookie is being uncommonly nice to Eric. Usually he can't get more than a few words out of her. He supposes it's his fault; after all, he was so unfriendly during the beginning of their relationship. But if he can do anything about it, that's all going to change now. "Let's get you inside. Where's your key?"

"Where's my purse?" Sookie's voice gains an edge when she sees the look of vague panic cross Eric's face. "Did you leave my purse at the bar, Eric?"

In the relief of finally getting Sookie into the car, Eric hadn't thought to check for her purse. "I guess so." He sighs. "Come on, let's go back and get it."

"No, I'll get it tomorrow. I've got a spare key."

And then Sookie is on her hands and knees, and Eric, despite trying, can't draw his eyes away from the view. Her dress isn't too short, but its material clings to every curve on Sookie's perfect body. He feels the stirrings of desire rising as the dress exposes more and more of her shapely thighs and just a hint of her lace underwear Eric takes a sharp breath and pulls his eyes away before he gets too worked up.

Sookie lifts the porch mat and grabs the key from underneath. "Interesting place to keep an extra. Very original," Eric says, trying to divert his thoughts to anything but those about Sookie's body.

"I don't need your sarcasm Eric." Sookie stands up and brushes invisible dirt from her body. "Besides, who'd want to break into this old house in the middle of nowhere anyways?"

_Anyone who's taken one look at your beautiful body. _"No one, I guess. I just think you should take a few more precautions. Never hurts to be safe."

"Fine," Sookie says. She puts the key in the lock and opens the creaking door. "Well, good night Eric. Thanks I guess." Her voice lacks little and all enthusiasm. Again, Eric wonders how he can get Sookie to see him differently, not as the cold man she once met.

"You sure you're all right? Want me to get you inside and in bed?" Sookie raises an eyebrow. _All right, that probably sounded bad. _"I just meant that you were passed out in my car a few minutes ago. I don't think your drunk has worn off since then. So if you need any help- maybe some water or food or-" Eric is fumbling for words. As a high-cost lawyer, Eric Northman _never _fumbles for words, but something about Sookie's judgmental gaze has him stuttering like a ten year old with stage fright.

"Good night, Eric," Sookie repeats.

Accepting momentary defeat, Eric responds, "Good night Sookie."

And then, without thinking twice about it, just giving in to the impulsive action, Eric leans forward and brushes a chaste kiss across Sookie's cheek. The skin is warm and soft, and he can feel the heat on his lips as he pulls away. He meets Sookie's eyes, and though her gaze is distracted and her cheeks are flushed, she says nothing. She just gently closes the door, leaving Eric on the front porch with only muggy air and mosquitoes as his company.

Sighing, Eric flips his keys in his hand. "She'll give in," he says softly. "Whether she knows it or not, one day, she'll give in." With that thought in mind, he steps off of the porch and heads home.

**A/N ****– First of all, WOW, thank you for the great response to the first chapter! I'm glad so many of you want me to continue. Also- I tend to write short chapter and update quickly. Would you rather me continue to this or write longer chapters and only put them out every week or so? **

**What do you think of Eric so far? Is he **_**too **_**infatuated with Miss Stackhouse? And is the past intriguing you yet? I want to build up that story later on. **

**Also I need to put this to a vote. Do you want Sookie AND Eric POVs or just Eric? If you guys want Sookie also- I'm going to start point her POV in soon.**

**Thanks so much. Reviews and suggestions are always appreciated : ) **


	3. Overstepping

**A/N ****– Due to demand and my own opinion, I've decided to add Sookie POV to the story. Thanks for the help!**

**Sookie POV **

Sookie wakes up with a pounding headache. She groans, rolls over in bed, and buries her head into a fluffy white pillow. The pounding is incessant. _Why did Sam let me drink so much_, Sookie thinks_. _Her mouth is dry and scratchy, so she pulls herself out of bed and heads towards the bathroom. As she throws water over her tired face and brushes her not-so-nice morning breath away, memories from last night start to slowly come back to her.

Eric showing up at the bar. Sam handing Sookie over to his care like she was some kid that needed babysitting. Eric carrying her to her front door, his strong arms easily cradling the weight of her body. Sookie flushes. Even in her inebriated state last night, she was only too aware of how easily her body reacted to the simple touch of his hands on her skin.

_But why the hell was he even there? _Eric Northman was not Sookie's friend. In fact, he was the furthest thing from a friend. Not only had he been rude to her since the day they met, but now, after breaking up with Bill, Eric was simply a constant reminder, a connection to that awful and much to recent past. _Anyone that hires and manages to spend day after day working Bill Compton is not someone I want to be friends with. _

Not that Sookie saw through Bill in the beginning. At first, he was the most charming southern gentleman she'd ever met. He had swept her off her feet with expensive dinners and perfect manners and that gorgeous smile. It took almost a full year to realize that Bill was a fraud, a liar, a complete and utter asshole who took Sookie for all she was worth and left her broken and alone.

Sookie takes a deep breath, holding back the threat of tears. She tries to push away any and all thoughts of Bills. To go over what happened a month ago would be too much to bear. _I just can't believe he used me like that_, she thinks. _And now Eric Northman has the nerve to think he can take the place of Bill, cozy up to me, and try and get the same information that Bill was after. _

Sookie walks back into the bedroom to look for her cell phone. It's only then that she realizes her purse was left at Merlotte's last night. "Crap," she says out loud. "No cell phone and no car." Sighing, she heads downstairs in search of the house phone. Hopefully her brother Jason can pick her up and give her a ride to Merlotte's.

When she gets downstairs, she notices a note pinned to the door from the outside. She opens the door, grabs the note, and reads the bold, handwritten script:

_Good morning Sookie,_

_I hope you're feeling all right after last night. If I may suggest, a strong cup of coffee and a couple of waffles always help me with my hangovers. I realized that you might have a rough start today, so I went ahead and had your car and purse dropped off at the house. Your purse is in the passenger seat. I'm assuming no one will steal it since, as you said, you live in an "old house in the middle of nowhere" anyways. I hope you have a wonderful rest of the day. _

_ Yours,_

_ Eric Northman_

A year ago, a letter like this would have had Sookie Stackhouse swooning like a sixteen year old girl getting asked to prom. But today, this letter has Sookie fuming like a sixteen year old car breaking down on the highway. _I can't believe he had the nerve to fucking move my car. My life is none of his business. He butted in enough last night. _Sookie refuses to admit that it's more than a little bit nice that she doesn't have to run out to Merlotte's right now, refuses to admit that Eric is being unnecessarily kind. _Besides, he probably just wants the same information Bill was trying to get. _

Still fuming, Sookie strides out to her car to grab her purse. Her eyes narrow when she gets to the car- did Eric have it washed for her? _That pretentious, arrogant, gawd almighty. _Sookie takes her purse and sifts through it as she heads back inside the house. At first, she can't find her cell phone. Then, she realizes it's because her cell phone isn't there. Instead, a brand new iPhone is sitting in her purse.

"He did not buy me and iPhone," she says aloud, her anger growing.

She turns on the phone, and it's blinking **1 new message. **After a moment of fiddling, she figures out how to open the message, and it reads:

**Hope you like the new phone, Sookie. Apparently you dropped your old one in the toilet at some point last night. Sam fished it out, but I figured you'd need a new one. –Eric **

Too much. Eric Northman has gone way too far with this one. What right does he have to invade her life, her privacy like this? She can't recall more than three conversations they've ever had, and all three of those were purely out of necessity, during a time when she loved Bill and Bill worked for Eric. _If he thinks he can buy my cooperation with this deal Bill was trying to get started, than he is so unbelievably wrong. _

Deciding that a simple phone call or text message won't do the trick, Sookie decides the only way to get Eric out of her life for good is to drive over to his office and tell him to his face. With that in mind, she runs upstairs to shower and get dressed, throwing on a pair of jean shorts and a white tank top. And then she gets into her car and drives straight towards the offices of Eric Northman & Co.

It's almost noon by the time she gets to the huge office tower. Eric works outside of Bon Temp in the larger city of Shreveport. His building is one of the largest in the county, towering over all of the smaller local businesses. As she gets out of the car, Sookie wonders if maybe she came at a bad time. Eric might be eating lunch. Hell, he might not even be in the office.

She has a moment of indecision. She drove over here in a moment of anger, not really thinking it through. What does she actually have to say to Eric? And then she looks down at the brand new iPhone, and the anger returns full fledged. She grabs the phone, slams her car door shut, and strides towards the building.

Sookie has only been to Eric's office once, but she remembers where it is from the many times she visited Bill at work. She walks past the receptionist and takes the elevator right up to the 15th floor. The doors ping open, and Sookie walks out into the marble foyer. It's surprisingly quiet, and again, Sookie wonders if everyone is out to lunch.

She has to go through a tangle of hallways before finally making it to Eric's office, so when she finally gets there, she swings the doors open, finds Eric standing in front of his desk with a stack of papers in hand, and starts yelling at him immediately. "Eric Northman, I don't know what you think you're trying to do, but you cannot buy me. I know what Bill was trying to get from me, and I'm sure you're just trying to finish what he started. I don't want your help. I don't want your fake sympathy or your fake friendship. And I definitely don't want this fucking iPhone." And then, mostly for the sake of drama, she throws the iPhone against the far wall.

This entire time, Eric is standing wide-eyed. When Sookie is done ranting, he takes a tiny step forward and clears his throat. "Um, Sookie. Could we maybe talk about this later? I'm in the middle of a meeting."

It's only then that Sookie, mortified, looks into the side of the room and realizes there are at least a dozen people sitting at a conference table, all wearing suits and staring straight at her.

**A/N ****– So what do you think about the first Sookie chapter? Also- is the backstory with Bill getting too confusing? Should I go ahead and explain what happened with him and Sookie or do you like the mystery? If it's confusing, tell me, and I'll go ahead and explain a lot of it in the next chapter. **

**Thanks for the R&R! **


	4. Friends

**Eric POV**

Eric stares at Sookie as her cheeks begin to flush a bright red. She's breathing heavily from the exertion of screaming, and Eric's eyes instinctively trail over her chest, on display in her basic white tank top, and then down the length of her almost bare legs. He can't decide which is making him more uncomfortable- the fact that he was just childishly yelled at in front of some very important clients or the fact that he's still managing to get aroused in front of the very same clients.

He clears his throat a second time and takes another step towards Sookie. Her beet red face is plastered with a look of panic. Eric glances towards his circle of clients before turning back to Sookie and softly saying, "There's a café on the third floor. Maybe you can wait there until I'm done with my meeting? Then we can talk."

"I think I should probably just go home," Sookie says, already fumbling through her purse for her keys.

"Stay. I'd like to talk with you."

"I really shouldn't. I have to work tonight. I should be getting back home."

"Please?" Eric stares at Sookie and sees a moment of indecision pass across her gaze. He can practically see the gears churning in her brain. If Sookie leaves this office without talking to him, his chances of befriending her and hopefully later turning that friendship into something more will most likely slip through his hands. "Besides," Eric says. "I think you owe me after bursting in here."

Sookie's face flushes again. "I guess that's true." She bites her lip, and Eric is drawn to the soft looking skin. "All right. I'll be in the café. How long do you think you'll be?" She looks towards the clients before quickly pulling her embarrassed gaze away.

"Not sure. Most likely, no longer than half an hour."

"Okay," Sookie says before turning and walking out of the office. Eric watches her go, a tiny smile on his face.

He takes a deep breath before turning towards his clients. "Sorry about that," he says.

Pam, Eric's most aggressive and favorite lawyer in his firm, raises an arched eyebrow. She knows Bill and Sookie dated for a year, knows that they broke up once Sookie realized Bill was only dating her to extract important information from her on a decade long case. Most likely she's wondering what Sookie is doing running into the office in a tizzy and yelling at Eric Northman. But, to Eric's relief, she doesn't bring it up in front of the clients. Instead she says, "I believe Eric, we were just in the middle of discussing the possibility of moving back the trial date so that Swenson and Sons have the opportunity to gather more evidence."

There's a reason Pam is Eric's favorite. She takes every situation as is and continues to shine. No distraction will ever keep her from winning a case. "Of course," Eric says. He approaches Mr. Swenson, an elderly man in a sharp grey suit. "The result of this lawsuit relies on the fact that you can prove your new household cleaner is perfectly safe. The prosecutors have shaky evidence at best right now. I believe if you put forth the right trials and gather enough information, we'll win over the jury by a landslide. I'll speak to the judge later this afternoon and find a way to move the case to a month from now. It'll still be a tight squeeze, but hopefully that'll give us enough time."

Mr. Swenson smiles, his wrinkled skin gathering under his bright blue eyes. "I sure appreciate that, Mr. Northman. I fully believe, no, I _know _our product is completely safe. We just need the time to prove that to everyone else."

Eric tries to fight back a grimace. His job is to defend his client, but that doesn't always mean the client is right. Even though the prosecution doesn't have much of a case, much evidence, the fact is that there's a very good chance that Swenson's new cleaner is extremely detrimental to the health of long-term users. But Eric's job is to prove otherwise. And since Eric is very good at his job- most likely this cleaner will stay on shelves for years to come.

When Eric first became a lawyer, he promised himself that he would only take the cases he believed in. But when bills started piling up and the firm was dipping towards bankruptcy, Eric was forced to start taking any and all cases, whether or not the client was in the right or the wrong. These cases may not ease Eric's conscience, but they usually come from big corporations, which means big money and big press.

Eric holds out his hand, and Mr. Swenson takes it in a surprisingly firm handshake. "I believe you, Mr. Swenson, and I'll make sure the jury believes you too." He glances towards Pam. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some personal business to take care of, but you're in good hands with Pam. She'll go over the rest of the preparations we need to make for the preliminary hearing and then show you out. It was a pleasure as always."

"Of course. Thank you, Mr. Northman."

Eric nods towards the rest of his team of lawyers and Mr. Swenson's board of directors before grabbing his wallet and exiting his office. _This case might end up a nightmare_, he thinks. Though Eric likes to always remain positive with his clients, the truth is, it might be hard to find evidence that Swenson's new cleaner is in no way dangerous. Sighing, he runs his fingers through his hair. _It'll be another battle for another day_.

He takes the stairs all the way down to the third floor. There's not a lot of chance for exercise running a company that employs over three hundred people, so he tries to get his heart rate up whenever he can find time. His face is slightly flushed when he finally enters into the café, and it flushes even more when his eyes land on Sookie. Her head is bent over a magazine, blonde hair framing her beautiful face. One of her hand absentmindedly runs over the bare skin of her thigh, and Eric can feel his earlier arousal coming back again. Everything on her always looks so...touchable.

Taking a deep breath, he advances towards Sookie. She's engrossed in the magazine, so he says, "Hello Sookie," to get her attention.

She gives a tiny jump and then blushes. "Sorry," she says, composing herself. "I didn't see you there."

"That's all right." Eric motions towards the seat across from her. "May I?"

"Sure." Sookie closes the magazine, but her hands fidget, playing with the corners of the pages. _She's nervous_, Eric thinks._ I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing._

"So," he says.

"So," she responds.

They stare at each other in an awkward silence for a moment before both smiling. Eric laughs softly. "That was quite a scene you made earlier."

"I know. I'm so sorry." She looks genuinely upset. "I don't know what came over me. That was just so childish. I never do anything like that." She looks up, her dark eyes settling right on Eric. "I just, well, I don't know if I'm okay with everything that happened last night. I don't understand what you want with me. I don't understand why you were being so nice to me. _Too nice_, actually. You can't just buy me things. You barely know me."

"Right," Eric says. "I was worried I might have overdone it." Buying the iPhone for Sookie was kind of a spur of the moment decision. He thought it was nice, romantic, but on a second thought, giving an acquaintance an iPhone is probably overstepping boundaries.

"Look," Sookie says, bundling her fidgeting hands into her lap. "I need you to tell me the truth Eric. Are you after what Bill wanted?"

Eric's stomach drops. His face pales.

Of course. It makes so much sense. What else would Sookie think?

Bill seduced Sookie, dated her for over a year just so he could win one case. The Swenson vs. The People case has been closed for over a decade now. It was around before Eric Northman & Co even existed. In the case, very similar to the one at hand now, a group of residents from Bon Temps were trying to prove that Swenson's new bug repellent was hazardous to their crops. One of the main prosecutors was Adele Stackhouse, Sookie's grandmother. Having used the repellant in her garden, she had proof that the spray infested her food and made her grandchildren sick. Adele passed away before the court went to trial.

All of the evidence is still in Sookie's possession, and when Bill became aware of this, he wanted Sookie to hand the evidence over. To lock it up or burn it so that the case could never be dug up again. There are rumors that Swenson was willing to pay Bill a million dollars to get rid of the information. It was the reason Eric fired Bill in the first place. Tampering with evidence is a big no-no, and accepting bribes from a client is even a bigger cause for dismissal.

Eric looks at Sookie. All her anger from earlier in the day has dissipated. Now, she just looks sad, worn down. What can he possibly say to make her believe him? "Look, Sookie," he begins. "Bill was not at all under my command when he did what he did. In fact, I fired him because of the situation. I don't know if you'll believe me, but I promise you that I had nothing to do with it. I'm not after that information. I promise."

Confusion sweeps over Sookie's face. "Well, then, why are you being so nice to me? If it's not that- what else do you want?"

"I just want to be your friend Sookie." _And hopefully, on day, more than your friend._

"Why?"

Eric bites back soft laugh. She seems so confused. Is it that hard to believe that he likes her just because he likes her? "Because, why not?"

Sookie gives a soft sigh. She still looks a bit skeptical, but after Bill, who can blame her? "All right," she says. "I guess I'm okay with that."

Eric smiles. _Finally_, he thinks._ I might still have a long way to go until she trusts me completely, but this is a start. _He holds out his hand. "Friends?"

She shakes his hand, her warm skin against his. He doesn't want to let go. Ever. "Sure. Friends."

When she smiles, Eric's entire day brightens. Sookie Stackhouse will be his, whether she knows it yet or not.

**A/N – ****Long chapter! Well, at least for me it is! I totally agree with what you guys said earlier- Sookie seemed pretty immature in that last chapter. Hopefully this chapter makes up for it. **

**What do you think of Sookie and Bill's past? Do you see how it will complicated things for Sookie and Eric in the future? **

**Do you like the alternating chapters of Sookie and Eric POV, or should I concentrate on one character more than the other?**

**Thanks for the reading and reviewing! I really appreciated the great response to this story! **


	5. Offer

**Sookie POV**

Sookie wipes down the bar with a wet, dirty rag. After an extra long shift, Merlotte's is finally closed for the night. Whenever there's a football game on, a huge crowd always shows up around six, drinks beer after beer after beer, and doesn't leave until almost one in the morning. Sam loves it. After all, good business is good business. And although Sookie doesn't mind the thick wad of cash tucked into her back pocket, she would rather not have to deal with drunken rednecks for the better part of her day.

When the crowd starts getting rowdy at Merlotte's, men begin to look at Sookie as something on the menu as opposed to a waitress. Sure, Sookie knows she has some pretty decently sized breasts, and her legs are always bare and on display during summer, but that doesn't mean any man has the right to hit on her or pinch her ass whenever she turns around. She sighs and feels the back of her pocket- it is a lot of cash. Maybe it's worth the hassle. Maybe not. It's not like she has a lot of other job offers on the table, so she'll stick with what she can get.

Sam walks out from his office, a pencil tucked behind his thick, shaggy hair. "Decent tips?" He asks.

Sookie pulls out the wad of money and waves it at his face, smiling her genuine smile reserved for only a few special people in her life. "Not bad."

"It was a damn good game."

Sookie raises an eyebrow. "We were losing the entire time."

"I meant good for the bar. An angry crowd is a drinking crowd."

"That's true, I guess." Sookie finishes wiping down the counter and looks up as Sam approaches her. His eyes narrow, and instantly, she feels the entire mood shift- shift from lighthearted to serious. "What?"

"I was just wondering how you're doing. I never really got a chance to talk to you about last night. You get home okay and everything?"

Sookie sighs. She reaches up and lets her hair out of its tight ponytail. Sam watches as she runs her fingers through the blonde strands. "I'm fine," she finally says.

Sam is a good friend. A true, good friend. He's been there for her for years now, and when everything happened with Bill, he was really sympathetic whenever she had to rush to the bathroom to dry a few tears during her shifts at work. But sometimes, discussing her personal life with him just feels off. Maybe it's because he's her boss. Maybe it's because deep down she knows Sam likes her in more than a friendly way. Maybe she just doesn't want to be that close to anybody.

"Did Eric treat you all right?"

_More than all right. _Images from that night and earlier today have been running through Sookie's mind nonstop. His strong arms carrying her drunk self up the porch stairs. His amused eyes when she burst into his office this morning. The feeling of his warm hand clutched in hers when she apologized. Something about Eric Northman has warning bells ringing in her head. "He was fine. He drove me home just like you asked."

"I wanted to apologize, you know, about calling him. I know you two aren't very close, but he told me if you ever needed anything-"

"He what?" Sookie looks up, and she can see Sam mentally backtracking over his words. "What did he say?" Her voice starts to rise just a little bit. "I meant to ask you why he was at Merlotte's anyways. I mean- how did he know I needed a ride?"

Sam looks uncomfortable. He avoids Sookie's direct gaze and tucks his hands into the pockets of his faded jeans. "Well, you see, after all that stuff happened with Bill." Sookie cringes at the sound of his name. "Eric came over here to Merlotte's, and we had a talk. He said that he didn't know you very well, but he knew you were a sweet person who deserved better than what Bill gave you. He wanted to help, I guess. He gave me his number and said to call if you ever needed help with anything. So last night when you were a lot past tipsy and I was working, I called him, and he came right over."

Sookie wrinkles her brow. "It just doesn't make sense. Why would he do that?"

Sam takes a step towards Sookie. His voice softens. "I know it's hard for you to believe this Sookie, but, there are a lot of people that care about you. I'm one of them, and I guess Eric is too."

Sam's gaze is direct, and for some reason, his words make her feel uncomfortable. With two dead parents, a slacker brother, and a recently passed away grandmother, Sookie is used to fending for herself. She doesn't expect anyone else to help out or even to care.

Sookie closes her eyes and takes a small breath. "I appreciate that Sam, but maybe in the future, let me know if people are talking about me behind my back. It's just that I know I've been a little bit down since the breakup, and I don't need people thinking I'm some fragile thing that's about to go over the edge."

"Of course," Sam says. "I understand." He reaches out and cups Sookie's cheek. His skin is hot, and hers flushes underneath the touch. He tilts up her chin so that's he's staring straight into her brown eyes. "I'm here for you, always, Sookie. I'm on your side."

Flustered by his touch, Sookie smiles softly and averts her gaze. "Thank you, Sam." She takes a step back. "I should really be going now. I've finally got a day off tomorrow, and I want to enjoy it."

"All right. Good night then."

"Good night, Sam." Sookie goes into the back of Merlotte's to grab her purse, and then she heads for her car. She has to turn the keys twice before the engine starts. As she drives down the empty lanes, she reaches into her purse for her cell phone. Careful to keep her eyes on the road, she checks the phone and sees that she has a voicemail. She slides open the screen and hits play:

_Good evening, Sookie, it's Eric. I hope you had an enjoyable shift at work. I was calling about an opportunity you might be interested in. I'm sure you're very happy at your current job, but the thing is, my secretary just quit on me today, and I need a new one as soon as possible. I thought you might be interested in the position. The pay is very good. Give me a call back in the morning, and if you're interested, you can come in during the afternoon and have a quick interview. Sleep well, Sookie. _

The message ends just as Sookie is pulling into her driveway. A job working for Eric Northman? It sounds ridiculous. Why would she want to work at the firm her ex-boyfriend was fired from? Why would she ever want another boss besides Sam Merlotte? But then again, Eric Northman & Co is a big firm, and she can bet that means a big paycheck.

Sookie looks at the peeling paint on her front porch and cringes as the door creaks when it opens. Extra money would really help. And she doesn't even have to quit Merlotte's- she can still work at nights. Sookie bites her lip. She could at least go in tomorrow and just check things out. What's the worse that could happen?

**A/N –**** Sorry! There's no Eric in this chapter, but they'll be plenty of him in the next one! **

**What do you think of Sookie so far? Is she annoying or do you like her? **

**Would you like Sam to be a part of this story, or should I keep it completely Sookie/Eric?**

**Thanks for the R&R! **


	6. Opportunity

**Eric POV **

"Pam, where the hell are the files on the Strauss case?" Eric shoves the piles of papers around his desk, searching for the contracts for a client coming in later that afternoon. He can't find them anywhere. Clerical work is not his job, but with no secretary, who else is going to do it? "Pam!" Eric screams again.

"Chill the fuck out," Pam says as she steps into Eric's office. She looks around distastefully at the stacks of papers, empty food containers, and piles of books. "Jesus, Eric. It looks like an atomic bomb went off in here. You've been without a secretary for one day. How the hell did this happen?"

Eric runs a hand through his hair. He tries to take a calming breath. "I don't know. I guess I've never had to keep things organized. Ginger always did that for me."

"Well, Ginger is gone now, and you can't fall to pieces over it."

"I know, I know. I'm interviewing a new secretary today."

"Who?"

Eric looks up. He's tempted to lie, but Pam can usually see right through him when he does that. "Uh, Miss Stackhouse."

Pam raises an eyebrow. She steps towards Eric, a warning look in her eye. "You mean Sookie Stackhouse? That little blonde thing Bill Compton dragged through the dirt?"

"Yes." Eric fiddles with his pen, clicking it open and close, twirling it between his long fingers. He tries to avoid meeting Pam's direct gaze.

"Does Sookie have secretarial experience? Has she ever worked in a law firm before? If my memory serves correctly, Sookie is a waitress."

"Well, no. I don't think so."

"Then why on earth is she coming in for an interview?"

"We need a new secretary."

"And?"

"And, well-" Eric's mind is racing. Why is Pam always so _right _about everything? Why is he interviewing Sookie for the position of a legal secretary, a position she's obviously not qualified for? _Because I want to manipulate her life so that I can spend more time with her._ That_ doesn't sound creepy at all. _There's no good way to explain himself to Pam, so Eric clears his throat, stands up and says, "Look Pam. Who's name is on the front of this building?"

With an annoyed sigh, Pam responds, "Eric Northman."

"That's right. This is my business, and I can hire whomever I want, so it's enough with the questions. Now do you have the Strauss files?"

Eric hates pulling rank, especially with Pam who he sees as a friend more than as an employee, but Sookie is a sensitive subject. He can't tell Pam his true intentions because she'd try to get him to snap out of it. Probably convince him that he has no business having interest in some waitress that Bill Compton already had his dirty hands on.

"They're right here," Pam says, handing over a few manila folders to Eric.

"Good. That's all then."

Pam is about to leave when she turns around one last time. She lowers her voice and says, "Look, Eric. I'm not sure what your intentions are with Sookie, but you better think about what you're doing. That girl has been through enough shit with this firm already, and you don't need to stick your nose in it. Besides, are you really going to hire someone inexperienced when we swamped with more cases than we can handle? Just make sure you're thinking things through. That's all I'm saying."

Eric looks up, and in a clipped tone, he says, "Fine. Is that all?'

"Mhmm," Pam says. "For now."

Eric glances at his watch as Pam leaves his office. Sookie will be here any minute now. Pam's words wash over him, even though he tries to push them away. Sookie is a good person, and from what he can tell, a hard worker. Sure she's inexperienced, but that doesn't mean she won't be a fast learner. _You're bullshiting yourself, Eric. You just want to spend time with her, and you're using abusing your power to do it. It's wrong. _

He picks up his cell phone. Maybe he'll call her- tell her that somebody else already got the job. If he wants Sookie to trust him, this definitely isn't the way to do it. But just as he's dialing her number, there's a tiny knock on his door. "Come in," he calls out.

The door opens, and Sookie steps inside. _God, she's beautiful_. She's wearing a red pencil skirt that stops just above her knees, but it clings to her body in a way that has Eric's heart racing. Her white blouse is conservative but hints at her ample chest and reveals just enough smooth, tanned skin. And her hair is twisted up into a bun, showing off her long neck. Eric adjusts his pants. _How does she do this to me? _

Clearing his throat, Eric says, "Hello, Sookie. How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. And yourself?"

_Why do we sound so formal? I guess this is an interview. _"I'm great." Eric watches as Sookie scans his messy office. "Okay, maybe things have been a little hectic today."

"I can see that."

Eric motions to an empty chair in front of his desk. "Please, sit down."

"All right." Sookie sits down and crosses her legs. Eric's eyes linger on the exposed skin. He tries to look away, but she obviously notices his attention, a blush rising to her cheeks. "I, um, brought a resume," she says, sliding a single sheet of paper across Eric's desk. "I know I don't have much experience. But before I worked at the bar, I did do a bit of secretarial work at the Sheriff's office."

Eric looks at the resume. It's scanty at best. Since she never went to college, she has her high school GPA written down: a 4.0. "Why didn't you go to college?" He asks.

Sookie's face flushes even more, and she starts tripping over her words. "I never really enjoyed school, and then my grandma, well she, and you know Jason-"

_Shit, why did I ask that_, Eric thinks. _I sound like an asshole. _"Never mind," he says. "It's not important."

"Okay."

There's a bit of an awkward silence. Eric interviews people all the time, but he's never been this nervous about it. He feels like Sookie is judging him instead of the other way around. "So," he starts. "Basically, if you worked here, you'd be doing mostly clerical stuff. Filing, taking notes at meetings, making my appointments, that sort of thing. But in the past, our secretaries have worked there way up, becoming research assistants and things like that." He clears his throat again. Why is she just staring at him? What is she thinking? "So, what do you think about it?"

"Think about what?"

"Working here."

"Wait." Sookie's eyes widen, and her voice rises. "You mean you're offering me the job?"

"Well, yes. We need a new secretary, and you have good references, and I don't see why-"

Sookie starts smiling widely. "Really?"

"Really. I mean, obviously, this will just be a trial period, and if things work out, we'll hire you under a yearlong contract. But yes, I'm offering you the job. So do you accept?"

"Definitely, I mean, yes, I accept."

"Well, great."

"Great."

Eric stands up and walks around his desk so that he's standing next to Sookie. He holds out his hand, and she shakes it. He swears she starts to blush when their hands touch. "Welcome to the firm Sookie."

"Thank you, Eric. When do I start?"

"Well, actually- is there any way you can start this afternoon? I know it's short notice, but as you see, I don't really stay organized without help."

Sookie pauses before answering. "I guess I can. The thing is- I haven't told Sam I'm interviewing for this, and I have a shift at Merlotte's tomorrow night. I was planning on keeping both jobs for awhile."

"Two jobs? Why?"

Sookie looks down. "I kind of could use the money." _Way to sound like an asshole again, Eric. _"As long as I can figure out the scheduling, than sure, I can start today."

"Great. I'll call Jessica and have her come down and show you how things work. She used to be my secretary, but like I mentioned, she works as a research assistant now. We'll go over pay and sign all the documents at the end of the day if that's okay with you. I'm pretty swamped with meetings until five."

"That's fine." Sookie looks up, and she looks genuinely happy, her warm brown eyes staring straight at Eric. Shockingly, she grabs his hand and cups it in her own. "Thank you, Eric, really." He's distracted by their contact, but he tries to concentrate on what she's saying. "I know I don't have a lot of experience, so I really appreciate you giving me a chance to, you know, get somewhere."

"Of course, Sookie. I think this will work out well for the both of us." They smile at each other. _Yes, I think this will actually work out very well. Pam doesn't know what she's talking about. _

**A/N – ****So what do you guys think? I don't want to make this some story where the girl is a blonde bimbo secretary who gets seduced by her boss, so hopefully Sookie doesn't sound too stupid. She needs a better job, and Eric needs a secretary. **

**Thanks for the R&R! Reviews make me smile :) **


	7. Sign the Line

**Sookie POV**

"Jessica, thank you so much for showing me around today. I really appreciate it." Sookie smiles at Jessica, a pretty redhead who has been working in Eric's office for years now.

"It's not a problem," Jessica responds. "I'm happy to do it. Showing you around is a great way for me to avoid a very boring pile of paperwork sitting on my desk right now."

The elevator pings, and Jessica and Sookie step out onto Eric's floor of the office. "Well, is there anything else I should know?" Sookie asks.

"I think you've got the basics. Eric will help you along anyways- basically your job is to do anything he doesn't have time for. He's really nice, but it's a busy office, so be ready to take on a lot of work." Jessica smiles. "God, I almost had a breakdown on my first day here. I was just out of college, and it was my first real job, you know? Well, Eric needed some files for this really important case, and he was leaving the office in like five minutes to go to the courthouse, and gosh, I still can't believe this happened- I spilled coffee all over the documents. Like completely covered, soaked, and illegible."

Sookie laughs and puts a hand to her mouth. "What did you do?"

"Well, first, I considered quitting on the spot- just running out of the building and never coming back, but after a few calming breaths, I ran to archives, found an extra copy of the files and handed them to Eric on the way out the door."

"Did he realize what had happened?"

Jessica smiles, "If he did, he never said a thing. He's nice like that, you know? Everyone has a rough day."

"That's good to hear." Sookie feels a bit relieved. Bill was always so stressed out when he came over after work, so Sookie thought working at Eric Northman & Co might be a nightmare. After all, everything she knows about Eric comes straight from Bill's mouth. "Are you sure there's nothing else I need to know?"

"Hmm," Jessica bites her lip, thinking. And then suddenly her eyes widen and she grabs Sookie's hands and stares her straight in the eyes. _Gosh, this one has a lot of energy_, Sookie thinks. "I can't believe I almost forgot to tell you about this! Like I've been saying, Eric is really nice except for this _one _thing."

"What thing?"

"His coffee. He is an absolute devil when it comes to his coffee. One sugar, one cream, and piping hot. He takes one cup, first thing in the morning, and another one at two in the afternoon. God, we were out of creamer one day, and I swear he didn't know what to do with himself. He just stared at the coffee cup for about five minutes until I finally ran out to starbucks and paid for a new one." Jessica tucks a strand of bright red hair behind her ear, "But, I mean, we all have our quirks, right?"

"Right." Sookie opens her purse and digs out a pen and sheet of paper. "Just to be sure- how does he take the coffee?" Jessica repeats the instructions and Sookie diligently writes them down. She doesn't want to mess up something that simple on the first day.

"But really, don't worry about it," Jessica says. "It's not like he'd fire someone over a cup of coffee...at least I don't think he would." She pauses for a second before checking her watch. "Gosh! Is that the time? I really need to get going. I hope I covered everything. Just head back to Eric's office, and he'll have you sign some papers and what not. And then, I'll see you tomorrow. Welcome to the firm!"

Jessica's wide smile is infectious, so Sookie grins back and shakes her hand. "Thank you again Jessica. I'm really looking forward to working here. I'll see you around."

"Bye!" Jessica heads back on the elevator, leaving Sookie alone in the hallway.

"One sugar, one cream, and piping hot," Sookie repeats under her breath as she threads through the hallways to Eric's office. "On sugar, one cream, and piping hot."

She knocks on his door, and he calls out, "Come in."

When Sookie walks inside, her stomach gives a little flip. Eric is just pulling back on his blue button-down shirt, but she catches a healthy glimpse of his body in just a white tank top. The material clings to obvious muscle and reveals long, strong arms. She licks her lips unconsciously, and her cheeks flame when Eric notices her staring.

"Sorry," he says as he finishes buttoning his shirt. "I try to get some crunches in during the work day. I don't have much time to get to the gym."

_Really? Because it sure as hell looks like you do. _"That's all right," Sookie responds. She tries to relax. There is more than one reason that she should never find Eric Northman attractive- i.e. he's Bill's old boss, i.e. now he's her boss. "I was just coming by to sign those papers."

"Right, of course," Eric says. He walks over to his desk, and Sookie notices that he's barefoot. _Cute_, she thinks. Eric shuffles through some drawers until he pulls out a thin sheaf of papers. "Here we go."

He beckons Sookie over, so she sits down in front of his desk. She glances over the papers he hands her. "What exactly are these?"

"Basically, you're temporarily signing to the company. At this point, we're just establishing a weekly pay, and if things work out, then we'll hire you on a yearly contract. The rest is just personal information, address, phone number, etcetera."

"Right, okay." Sookie starts filling out the papers, very aware of Eric's eyes on her. _What is he looking at_, she thinks_, do I have a stain on my blouse or food in my teeth_. Trying to be discreet, she rubs a finger over her teeth. _They seem clean. _The forms are very basic, and finally, she turns to a sheet that says _Employment Compensation. _Her eyes scan the sheet until they land on a number in bold: **$2,000 per week. **

Sookie's mouth feels dry, and she has to read the section again and again. But there it is, in bold ink- Eric Northman & Co is going to pay her $2,000 a week to fetch Eric coffee and take notes. Her pen hovers above the signature line. $2,000 is a lot of money- way more than she's ever made at Merlotte's. Maybe it's a mistake. Maybe she should say something.

She looks up and blushes because Eric is still staring at her. At least he has the courtesy to lessen his direct gaze. "Is something wrong?" He asks.

"Well, I was just wondering. Are you sure this is the right amount of pay?"

"Why? Is it not enough?" Eric looks concerned. "This is just a starting salary, so if you perform well, you'll get paid more in time. But if it's not enough, than I'm sure we can work-"

Sookie can't help it. She starts laughing. "Not enough?" She asks. "I thought it was maybe too much. Eric, this is a really..._nice _salary. I mean, it's very generous."

Eric scratches his head, looking slightly confused. "It's okay, right? There's not a problem with it? This is our normal starting salary for legal secretaries."

_Crap, I better shut my mouth before he starts lowering that number. _"No, it's fine," Sookie says. "I'm sorry for that." She quickly signs the final line before handing the papers back to Eric.

"Great," he says.

Sookie stands up. "So, is that all for today?"

"Yes, it is."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow then, Boss."

_Why is he still staring like that at me? It's like he...no, don't be silly Sookie. _

"Until tomorrow, Sookie." Eric smiles a large, warm smile, and Sookie curses herself when her stomach flutters.

She shakes her head and leaves his office. On the way out of the office, she mutters again and again, "One sugar, one cream, and piping hot."

**A/N –**** First of all, thanks for all the great reviews. I think this story is going to gain a lot of momentum now that Sookie will be working with Eric every day. I'm really excited, and I hope you guys are too.**

**Am I taking their relationship too slowly or do you like the build-up? I'm I focusing too much on side characters (i.e. Jessica) or not enough?**

**Thanks for the R&R!**


	8. Piping Hot

**Eric POV**

Sookie is already at her desk when Eric gets to the office. She looks up from her computer and smiles brightly. _I like it when she smiles at me_, Eric thinks, _hopefully she's not just doing it out of courtesy. _He's still nervous about hiring Sookie. Maybe he's messed everything up. They work together now- that means boundaries- boundaries that he obviously wants to cross. "Good morning, Eric," Sookie says.

She stands up and walks over to him a short stack of papers in her hands. _She looks taller_, Eric thinks. He looks down and realizes that she's wearing nude heels. His eyes linger on her calves before wandering past her knee-length skirt and plain, white blouse. _How does she always manage to look good- when she's drunk, when she's embarrassed, and now, even at eight in the morning? _

"Morning," he finally responds. "What do you have there?"

"Just some phone messages from this morning. I got here pretty early. I wasn't sure with traffic and everything how long it would take me to get here from Bon Temps."

Eric takes the messages from Sookie. "I didn't think about the commute. Did it take long?"

"Just under an hour. That's all right though. I don't mind the drive. It relaxes me."

Eric thinks about Sookie's car- the one he had dropped off at her house the other night. It's not exactly a new vehicle, and a two-hour roundtrip daily drive might just be asking for a breakdown. Maybe he can get her a company car or something. He leafs through the messages. "Any of these important?"

Sookie furrows her brow and slightly bites the bottom of her lip. _Why does she always do that_, Eric thinks, distracted by the way her tongue just barely sweeps over the pink skin. He drags his vision up to Sookie's eyes as she answers him. "I don't think so. Well, maybe this one message. It was from someone named Sophie? It sounded personal."

Sookie looks flustered, and Eric inwardly groans. God, he cannot believe Sophie Leclerq called him on his office line. Sophie is an old family friend. When Eric was growing up, he would always see her at his father's business dinners, birthday parties, new years, everything. She was always there. And as they got older, she was all over him. At each event, the hemline of her skirt would shorten, and the neckline of her shirt would plunge and plunge. Whenever they would talk, she should grab his arm, run fingers through his hair, and giggle incessantly.

Eric's father kept pestering him to ask Sophie out on a date. He said that it would make her happy, which would make her father happy, which would make everyone happy. "How hard is it to take a pretty girl out to dinner?" He kept asking. It was always a sore point between the two of them. So, when Eric's father ended up in the hospital a few months ago with lung cancer, Eric had to do something- had to do something to make his father feel better. Chemotherapy wasn't easy on a seventy-three year old man. So he bit the bullet and asked Sophie out on a date.

Sophie was thrilled. Her father was thrilled. Eric's father was thrilled. Everyone was thrilled except for Eric. It's not that Sophie isn't a beautiful woman- she has long, red hair, a perfect body, and striking green eyes, but she just isn't Eric's type. She's clingy and rude and superior. They went out on a date two weeks ago, and Eric thought it was an absolute disaster. He managed to escape with just a short kiss, claiming he felt food poisoning coming on. The problem is- Sophie hasn't stopped calling him since that night. He doesn't have the heart to turn her down (what would his father think when he heard about it), so he's basically just been avoiding her calls.

Eric looks back at Sookie. She's staring at him, still a bit flushed. "So, should I send her a message for you?"

"That's all right." Eric crumples the piece of paper. "I'll handle it. She's just a family friend."

Sookie's suspicious look tells Eric that Sophie's message probably sounded a lot more than friendly. "All right, then. Is there anything else you need right now?"

"I'm not sure. Let me get settled and see what I have going on today. If you could just bring in my coffee, that'd be great. One sugar-"

"One cream and piping hot," Sookie finishes Eric's sentence, and they both smile.

"I see that Jessica has trained you well."

"She tried her best."

Eric watches as Sookie heads back into the office kitchen. He watches the way her skirt clings to her round bottom, transfixed at the sight. "Pervert," he mutters to himself, but he keeps watching until she turns the corner.

Sighing, he heads into his office and settles down to a load of emails and paperwork. He's just finishing a follow-up response to Mr. Swenson when Sookie enters his office with a steaming cup of coffee. "Here you go," she says. There's a few napkins and a muffin in her other hand. "I also brought you some breakfast, you know, in case you hadn't had any yet. I hope you like blueberry."

Eric is shocked by how sweet she's being. _If she really hates me, she sure as hell is doing a good job of covering it up. _Sookie leans over to put the muffin on his desk, but just as she does so, the coffee slips out of her hand and spills all over Eric's lap.

"Holy fuck," he screams involuntarily. He jumps out of his chair and starts swatting at his pants. "That's so fucking hot."

"Piping hot," Sookie says, her face bright red. "Oh my gosh, Eric. I'm so sorry. I can't believe I just did that." She reaches for the pile of napkins and starts trying to wipe off the coffee- wipe it off of his dress pants.

Suddenly Eric is very, very aware of Sookie's hands on his thighs. Her small fingers work their way over the stain, and as she rubs again and again, Eric can feel himself getting aroused. _This is so not appropriate_, he thinks, _I can't let my secretary, I can't let Sookie give me a hard-on during her first day of work. _Not knowing what else to do, he barks out, "Enough. Stop."

He pushes Sookie's hands away and grabs the pile of napkins from her. Discreetly, he wipes off the rest of the coffee while trying to hide his half-erection. He feels very much like he's back in the sixth grade trying to cover himself up during a presentation to the class. He can practically hear the girls giggling at their desks.

Sookie covers her red face with her hands. "Eric, I am so sorry. It just slipped- I don't know what happened."

Eric takes a calming breath. "It's all right. These things happen." _My pants are ruined._

"Gosh, your pants are ruined. Do you have an extra pair anywhere? Or how about I go out and get you some new ones or-"

She's rambling now and pacing back and forth in front of Eric's desk. "Look, I have some dry cleaning that needs to be picked up. I usually don't ask my secretaries to do those sorts of things- but I have some clean pants there. I have a meeting at 10:30, so if you could get them to me by then-"

"Right. Of course! Not a problem. What's the address?"

Eric quickly gives directions to a very flustered Sookie, and then she is out of his office as fast as possible. He breathes deeply and falls back into his chair. His hand runs through his hair. _What a nightmare_, he thinks_, eight in the morning and my attraction to her is already getting in the way. I refuse to be that boss. _

His fingers drum on his desk and his mind starts buzzing. How can he seduce Sookie without seducing an employee? How can he seduce Sookie when she doesn't even like him? Or does she like him? Or is she faking it?

"I'm definitely overanalyzing this," Eric mutters. He hates to admit it, but maybe he does need Pam's help. After all, she's a woman who likes woman. Who could possibly give better advice?

**A/N - **** Thanks for the great responses to the last chapter! I'm hoping to get over 100 reviews with this one. **

**How do you like Eric in this chapter? Is he too distracted by the physical Sookie? I want them to develop a real relationship, not just a physical one.**

**Thanks for the R&R!**


	9. Tardy

**Sookie POV**

Sookie makes a detour on the way back to Eric's office. She takes the elevator to the research floor and threads through the cubicle aisles until she tracks down a certain red head. Jessica is sitting with her feet propped up on her desk, a telephone in one hand and a doughnut in the other. "Yes, I'll get right on that. I'll have it to you by noon. Yes, all right. Great. Thank you."

Jessica hangs up the phone and swivels around to face Sookie. "Hey, you! How's the first day going?" Her eyes drop down to the pair of freshly laundered men's trousers draped over Sookie's arm. "He has you fetching his dry cleaning?"

"Well, not exactly," Sookie responds. Already, she can feel her face flushing. The coffee fiasco from earlier this morning keeps playing through her head again and again. She can't believe she did something so stupid on her first day at work. She's been a waitress for five years now, and Sookie Stackhouse does not spill coffee.

"What happened?" Sookie has Jessica's full attention, and she's thankful she has someone this nice to talk to at work.

"I was getting Eric his coffee, but somehow, and I don't know how this happened, but well, when I was handing it to him, it tipped over and fell all over his lap." Sookie cringes remembering the way Eric screamed and jumped out of his chair. It was _very _hot coffee.

"Oh my gosh," Jessica responds. "That's awful, Sookie. I'm so sorry. How did he react?"

"I tried to help him clean it up, but he basically yelled at me and told me to get away." _Maybe I went too far, _Sookie thinks_, I mean, maybe it's inappropriate to wipe up coffee off of your bosses lap. The way he was staring at me- it was almost like he was getting aroused, but of course that's ridiculous. He was thinking about the hot coffee burning his lap, not me._

"I'm sure he's not that mad," Jessica says reassuringly. "He was just surprised, that's all."

"Yeah, well, I got out of there pretty fast and went to pick him up some clean pants."

"And now you're just procrastinating until you have to face him?" Jessica smiles, and Sookie smiles right back.

"Basically."

Jessica grabs Sookie's hand and gives it a tight squeeze. "Look, I'm sure it will be fine. It was just an accident. We all have them. Just bring him his pants and get on with the day. I'll be here if you need me for anything."

"You're right," Sookie says. "I'm being silly. Eric's my boss, not the big bad wolf. It'll be fine."

Sookie leaves Jessica and heads back to the elevator. When the doors ping, she steps out into an almost empty foyer. _That's weird_, she thinks. Usually Eric's floor is buzzing with noise, people on phones, walking up and down the hallways, but right now it's like a ghost town. _Where is everyone? _

She keeps following the hallways down to Eric's office. All of the rooms are empty, but eventually, she starts to hear noise coming from one doorway. She glances inside on the way past and realizes it's a large conference room. About two dozen people are sitting at the long tables- Sookie recognizes a tall, blonde woman from when she first barged in on Eric. Everyone is chatting softly, but they seem to be waiting for someone.

The blonde woman catches Sookie's gaze, and her eyes narrow. She slips out of her chair and quietly walks over to Sookie. Her full hair, long legs, and a very expensive looking black suit impress Sookie. This must be someone high up on the food chain at Eric Northman & Co. "Miss Stackhouse, I presume?" The woman asks in a low voice.

Sookie nods. "That's me."

"Great, you're Eric's new secretary then. I'm Pam, pleasure is all mine and what not. Now if you don't mind, I have a teeny tiny favor to ask you."

"All right. What is it?"

"Where the fuck is Eric?" Sookie opens her mouth, but before she can say anything, Pam continues, "This meeting was supposed to start at 10.30, and he's fifteen minutes late. These are very important clients. I tried knocking on his office door, but it was locked, and there was no answer." Again, Sookie tries to respond, but Pam ploughs on. "Now you track down Eric right now or I swear to god this will be your first and last day at this company. Understand?"

Shocked into silence, Sookie nods and watches Pam stride back into the conference room. She's all smiles when she starts talking to the clients. _Damn_, _I would not want to be up against her in court_, Sookie thinks. And then something clicks in her brain: 10:30 meeting. She was supposed to get Eric his pants before then, but instead she stopped to talk to Jessica.

Panicking, Sookie sprints down the rest of the hallway, almost tripping in her low heels. She gets to Eric's door and tries to open it, but like Pam said, it's locked. She bangs against the door. No answer. She bangs again and calls out, "Eric, it's me. Let me in."

She about to knock again when the door opens and reveals a pants-less Eric Northman. Her mouth gapes. Sookie can't help but stare at his long, muscled legs. His boxer briefs don't leave much to the imagination, and she struggles to pull her eyes away. Without saying a word, Eric yanks the pants out of Sookie's hand and quickly pulls them on. As he's buttoning the top button, he finally says, "You're late, Sookie, which means I'm late. Grab some paper and follow me into the meeting right now."

Sookie's pulse is racing. There are too many thoughts running through her head at once. _I spilled coffee on my boss; he's going to fire me. God, he has nice legs. And now I'm late. I'm an awful employee. I wonder what's under those boxer briefs. I'm so screwed. _She races to get a pad of paper from her desk, and then she trails behind Eric as he quickly strides down the hallway to the conference room.

"When we get inside," he says, "Find a chair in the corner, sit down, and just take notes on the meeting. If you aren't sure if something's important enough to write down, just write it down anyways. These are big clients for us, and I'm already late."

_He's mad at me. Definitely mad. And he has every right to be. _Sookie doesn't know what to say to him, so she keeps her mouth shut and follows him silently into the room. Just like he said, there's a chair in the back corner. She sits down and is grateful that everyone is staring at Eric, not her. "I'm so sorry," Eric is saying to the clients. "I had a little mishap this morning. I apologize for my tardiness."

An elderly man in a suit shakes Eric's hand. "That's perfectly all right, Mr. Northman. We all know how busy you are."

Eric turns towards everyone in the room. "Now, for everyone who is new to the case today, this is Mr. Swenson and his son, and we're here to defend the case, no, the fact, that Swenson's new household cleaner is perfectly safe. Pam will introduce the summary of the case so far. Thank you, Pam."

Pam stands up and starts talking, but Sookie can't pay attention to the words coming out of her mouth. A name keeps ringing through her head, Mr. Swenson, Mr. Swenson. Finally, it's clicks. Swenson is the same company that Gran was suing so many years ago, the same files that Bill was trying to get from her. Sookie's mouth is dry, and her face pales. _Is that why Eric hired me_, she thinks. _Is he really after the same thing Bill wanted? Did he lie straight to my face? I can't believe I've been this stupid all over again. If Eric is still representing Swenson & Sons, why wouldn't he want the files from me? _

It all makes sense. The ridiculously high salary. Getting hired on the spot with no work experience. Eric trying to get closer to her. He's just trying to finish what Bill started. Sookie's eyes flicker towards Eric and she almost jumps because he's staring right at her. His gaze is direct, intense, but she has no idea what he's thinking.

_It's times like these_, Sookie thinks_, that I really wish I could read minds._

**A/N ****– New chapter! Thanks so much for helping me break 100 reviews everybody. I really appreciate the responses : ) **

**I know this is kind of a slow-burn story, but I think I might treat you guys to the next best thing in the next few chapters- everyone likes a good dream, right? **

**Is Sookie too suspicious, or do you think she's perfectly right to think that Eric is up to something? **

**Thanks for the R&R!**


	10. Filling the Silence

**A/N – ****I think you guys will really like this chapter : ) **

**Eric POV**

"Eric, may I have a word with you?" Pam asks after the meeting finishes. Everyone is slowly filing out of the room until only Pam, Eric, and Sookie remain.

"Yes, of course." Eric looks towards Sookie who's watching him with trained, calculated eyes. She's been staring at him like that for the entire meeting. He speaks to her, "Sookie, I'll be back in my office in a minute. Please meet me there."

"All right, then." She gathers her notebook and hurries out of the room.

Eric sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. Today has been a bit of a nightmare, and unfortunately, all the misfortunes point back to Sookie. First she spilled ridiculous hot coffee on his dress pants, which was, of course an accident. Then he became inappropriately aroused. And then, Sookie was late bringing his clean slacks back to him, and therefore, he was late for a very important meeting.

"Something wrong?" Pam asks in a pointed tone.

"Is there something you'd like to say to me?" Eric snaps, throwing his frustration in the wrong direction.

"I had a chat with Sookie earlier today. She doesn't seem very competent. Why is it again that you hired her?" Pam rounds the large office table so that she's standing right in front of Eric.

_Because she is funny and sweet and beautiful. _"Everyone deserves a chance at a good job. I was just trying to help her out after everything Bill put her through. But, I guess, maybe she just isn't working out." The words taste bitter in Eric's mouth, but they're true. Sookie hasn't exactly been helpful today- out of laziness or incompetence or both.

"Funny, that's exactly what I was thinking. Now look, Eric. I know you have a lot on your plate with the Swensons. I'd be more than happy to look into hiring a new secretary for you. I'd even fire Sookie if you'd like. Trust me. I don't mind."

It's tempting. Things would be easier if Sookie was just out of his life. After all, he needs to stop pining over someone who doesn't seem to hold any interest for him. But Eric knows it's the wrong thing to do. He hired Sookie, and he should give her a chance. At least for the couple of trial weeks he promised. "No, that's all right Pam. She only signed the contracts for a trial period. If things don't improve, than I'll handle it myself."

Pam rolls her eyes. "Fine, then. Suit yourself." She grabs her leather suitcase, holding it with perfectly manicured nails. "I'll see you later, Eric."

"Pam." Eric nods a goodbye as Pam steps out of the room, and after a deep sigh, he follows.

Eric finds Sookie in his office. But to his shock, she's not sitting in a chair waiting for him, no, she's rifling through his desk drawers. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Eric asks, unable to hold back the level of his voice. Sookie snaps up, a pile of papers clutched to her chest. Her wide, brown eyes are filled with anger. _Why the hell is she angry? _Eric thinks. "Answer me! What are you doing in my desk?"

"Looking for evidence," Sookie snaps.

"Evidence? Against what? For whom?"

"Against you, jerk. You denied it once, but how stupid do you think I am? You're still working for Swenson & Sons, and I'm sure the only reason you hired me is to go after the same files Bill wanted. Well you're sure as hell not getting them from me!" Sookie strides up to Eric and slams a stack of papers against his chest. He grasps at the documents, his eyes moving between the words on the pages and Sookie's very angry face. "Look! You still have files on the case my Gran was part of years ago. Why would you keep these? Why are you still working with the Swensons?"

"Sookie," Eric says.

"What?"

"Shut the fuck up." Stunned, Sookie finally closes her mouth. "Sit down," Eric says, walking towards her until she backs up into a chair and settles into it. "I thought we went over this when I hired you- I have no interest in the evidence Bill was after. This case is closed, and I don't intend to open it."

"Then why do you still have the files in the desk? Why are you still working with the Swensons? Why did you hire me when I'm obviously not cut out for the job?"

_Why are you asking so many fucking questions_, Eric wants to respond, but controlling himself, he bites his tongue. "I still have the files, because if you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly organized. I had no clue those documents were still in my desk. I haven't looked at them forever." He takes a deep breath and starts pacing around the room, Sookie's eyes following his every motion. "As for the Swensons, they're a big client, and they bring in a lot of money for this firm. I'm not going to drop them as long as they're willing to pay for my help."

"All right, then." Sookie stands up and walks over to Eric. She stops right in front of him, and he is all too aware of the vicinity of her body, of her flushed skin and rapid pulse. "Well, then, why did you hire me? If you aren't trying to get information from me- then why- I mean, I'm obviously not cut out for the job, and –"

"I hired you, Sookie," Eric says in a low voice. "Because I like you, and I want to help you, and I want to be near you." _Stupid, stupid, stupid_, Eric thinks. _What the hell are you saying? _

"You what?" Shockingly, instead of stepping back, Sookie takes a tiny step forward.

"I like you, Sookie."

And then, maybe because she's just standing there, finally silent for once in her life- or maybe because she looks so damn attractive with her sheer blouse and red lips- or maybe because just because he can't think of a reason _not _to, Eric bends down and kisses Sookie.

At first, she gasps in shock, but when he gently tugs her arms and pulls her forward, she melts into his body. Her soft mouth starts moving against his, and he groans when her warm tongue begs at the tips of his lips. Her tiny hands grasp at his shirt, pulling herself closer towards him, pushing her body against his in a fevour he never expected. He rips away his lips from hers and rapidly kisses down the soft skin of her neck, receiving tiny sighs and whimpers every time he touches her flushed skin.

He wraps his arms around her small body, pressing himself against her, finally unembarrassed by his arousal. He explores the soft muscles of her back before finally making his way to her bottom, cupping it with both hands, pleased at the sound of approval coming from Sookie. He picks her up, and her legs wrap around his waist, her body fitting tightly against his arousal. He walks backwards until they bump against his desk, and he settles her unto it.

"Eric," she murmurs as her lips descend to his neck.

"Eric!" Suddenly there's another voice, a loud knocking. "Eric!" There's someone at the door.

Somehow, Eric manages to pulls himself away from Sookie, detangle their limbs. He stares longingly at her reddened lips as he calls out, "Wha-" he has to clear his throat, "What is it? Who is it?"

"It's Pam. Swenson just called. It's urgent."

"Okay, one moment." Eric looks back at Sookie, but she's avoiding his eyes. Taking slow, deep breaths, he tries to straighten his hair, adjust his tie. "I should go talk to, Pam," he says. Still, Sookie is silent. It's like he kissed the onslaught of words right out of her. "I'll be back," Eric says. "And then we can talk. All right?"

Sookie looks up at him, her brown eyes unreadable. "All right."

**A/N ****– So- good chapter? I hope I tied up some confusing things in this chapter. I realized that things were starting to sound a little contradictory. Sorry about that.**

**How did you like the kiss? Too soon? Or you were ready and happy for it?**

**Thanks for the R&R!**


	11. One More Chance

**Sookie POV**

Sookie raises a hand to her red lips, her fingers running over the raw, flushed skin. The office is empty, the hallway silent. Pam must have taken Eric down to her office for the Swenson emergency. _How did this even happen? _Sookie asks herself. Her entire body feels warm and hypersensitive, minutes ago, Eric's hands were roaming her body, his lips were kissing their way down her trembling skin. Everything felt so good, so right, but it doesn't make any sense.

Eric is her boss. And yes, he is more than attractive, but why would he kiss her? She thought he was about to fire her for incompetence, and instead, he put her on top of a desk and ravaged her. _What does it mean? _Sookie is tempted to flee the office. Why shouldn't she? If she left now, she could just keep on waitressing at Merlotte's and never step foot in Eric Northman & Co again. It would be easy. It would be simple

But she can't do it. This secretarial position is too good to be true, and if by some slim chance, Eric doesn't fire her today, she needs to come into work tomorrow with a smile on her face and do the best damn job she possibly can. Opportunities like this don't come along often, and whatever Eric's reasoning for hiring her may be, she needs to accept it and take advantage of the chance for a better career. Besides, deep down, a part of Sookie wants to know what that kiss meant. If she keeps working here, of course it can't happen again, but that can't stop her from wanting. Despite her suspicions, in the past week, Eric Northman has been nothing but kind to her, and it's impossible not to feel some sort of attraction for a kind, good-looking man- especially when he can kiss like that.

So Sookie waits. It takes Eric almost an hour to get back into his office, and in that time, Sookie has completely organized his desk. She reshuffled all of the papers, stacked and filed them by account, cleaned up all of the trash, and even ran out to get him a fresh cup of coffee, being careful to settle it carefully on his desk. When Eric steps back into the room, his eyes widen slightly. "Wow, it looks great in here." Sookie can't help but notice that his eyes linger on her, not his clean desk.

"Thanks," she responds. There's an unspoken tension in the air, and they both keep their distance. A part of Sookie is worried that if she gets too close to Eric, she might say _fuck the job _and jump him. "So. What was the emergency?"

Eric definitely looks stressed- a lot more stressed than when he left the room. "It's a long story," he responds. "But to keep it short- basically, Swenson is running some labs and experiments to prove that their household cleaner is safe, but they believe that someone on the prosecution is trying to sabotage the results. I think I'm going to have to head to New Orleans in the next couple of days to see if I can clear things up."

The name Swenson makes Sookie's skin crawl. After all, even though she was very young at the time, she remembers the way they mistreated Gran, ruined a harvest of crops, gave food poisoning to the whole family, and failed to pay up for the trouble they caused so many people. But Swenson & Sons is a client of Eric's, and if Sookie wants to keep this job, she needs to keep her mouth shut. "That's awful," she responds. "Anything I can do to help?"

Eric is silent for a moment. He's obviously trying to think something over. He walks over to his desk and sits down. Then he stands up again. Then sits. _At least he feels just as uncomfortable as I do_, Sookie thinks. "Look, Sookie," Eric says. "I hired you because, as I mentioned, I like you." He seems more embarrassed this time when the words fall from his mouth, like a sixth grader asking a girl to the school dance. He continues, "And I believe you're a smart woman and a hard worker, but to be honest, this first day hasn't gone so well. I know the coffee was an accident, but I just haven't seen a lot of initiative."

Sookie bites her lip. This is it. He is going to fire her after all. She knows she should stay silent, but she can't help it. She has to defend herself. "Look, Eric. I'm sorry about earlier. I really am. I don't know what's gotten into me today- maybe I'm just adjusting to the new job. This firm is a little overwhelming after working at Merlotte's, but please, don't fire me yet. I promise you, you will not regret it. I'll be the best secretary you've ever had. I just need the chance to show you what I can do."

Eric leans forward, his hands clasped together, resting on his desk. He's staring straight at Sookie, and the intense gaze makes her feel flustered. Her statement lingers in the air, until finally, he says, "Okay. One more chance." He glances at the clock. "I'll be in meetings for the rest of the day, but there's no need for you to come take notes. I think there's a few more things Pam needed you to do, just some filing and what not, but after that, you can leave early for the day. We'll start over tomorrow, and I really do hope that it all works out."

Relieved, Sookie smiles. She hasn't messed up everything yet. "Thank you, Eric. Really, thank you so much." More questions nudge the back of her brain. _But what about this kiss? What does it mean? Was it a surprise for the both of us or is there actually something there? Will it happen again? _But she doesn't ask them. If he doesn't want to talk about it, than she won't either. Besides, she's keeping her job, and that's what's really important. Right?

Later that night, an exhausted Sookie crawls into bed. She had two hours free after work and before her shift at Merlotte's, but still, a full day of work is too tiring. She thought maybe she could handle both jobs, but with the salary Eric is offering her, there's really no need to keep working as a waitress. But Sookie was too nervous to quit altogether. After all, if things don't go well tomorrow, Eric might fire her. So after work, Sookie went up to Sam and for the first time ever, she lied to him. She said that her cousin Haley was really sick, and she lives in New Orleans alone. She asked for a week off of work to go take care of her.

Sweet, understanding Sam wasn't suspicious of a thing. He said that of course Sookie could take off work and wished her cousin well. Pulling her covers up around her, Sookie feels a bit bad. Lying to Sam isn't something she ever wanted to do, but it just seemed like an easier option than explaining the real situation. Besides, Tara has been bugging Sam for a job for months now, and this will give her an opportunity to try out waitressing. With this thought to ease her conscious and the full exhaustion of the day weighing down on her, Sookie falls quickly into sleep.

_She knocks on Eric's door, and his voice comes back to her. "Come in." He's lying on his couch, shirtless and wearing the coffee-stained pants. "I've been waiting for you," he says. _

_ "You have?" The fire in Sookie's belly grows as her eyes roam over his exposed skin, his hard, taut muscles and smooth tan. _

_ "I've been waiting for a long time." _

_ Sookie walks towards him, and before she knows it, Eric is standing and taking her into his strong arms. He swoops down and presses his lips against her, his feverish and impassioned kisses arousing her instantly. He tugs her down onto the couch, and he climbs on top of her, kissing down the length of her neck. "I think we can get rid of this," he says in low voice, and then he rips open her sheer blouse, exposing her breasts, only clad in a small, lace bra, to his gaze. "Beautiful," he says, with reverent, intense eyes. _

_ His hands and lips are everywhere at once, touching every single part of her exposed body. He pulls and teases her skin, nipping her breasts through the thin material of her bra. "More," Sookie says. "Please." Her hands roam down the expanse of his muscled back until they reach the waistband of his trousers. "Maybe we should take these off," she says. "After all, they're very stained." _

_ "Yes, my very bad secretary," Eric says, his eager mouth pulling away from her flushed skin. Quickly, he stands up and strips off his pants, revealing a large arousal in black boxer-briefs. Greedily, Sookie grabs for him, pulls him back onto the couch, and presses her body against his. Her hands reach around and grab his bottom, eliciting a deep groan from Eric. She wants him. She wants all of him. Her skin is on fire, and his fingers are dancing up her thigh, reaching their way up underneath her skirt-_

Sookie wakes up with sweaty sheets. Her heart is racing as much as her mind. She glances at the clock- six thirty in the morning- and decides she needs a cold shower before work.

**A/N – ****Did you like the chapter? Also- sorry- even my dreams can be just teases sometimes : ) Hope you don't hate me too much.**

**Are you glad that Sookie will still be working with Eric? Or do you think she should have been fired? **


	12. Eggshells

**Eric POV**

_Eric presses his palms against the shower wall, hot water rushing over his naked body. His eyes are closed, and he breathes deeply, trying desperately to relax. He hears a noise- the shower door slides open. First, he only sees a bare arm, then a shoulder, a foot, a leg, until finally, a beautiful and naked blonde enters the shower. "Sookie," he says. "What are you doing here?" _

_ "Hard day at work?" She asks, ignoring his question. Eric can already feel himself getting aroused as his eyes take in Sookie's ample, bare breasts, the curve of her waist. Her body is perfection. He's wanted her for so long, and now here she is, nude and standing in front of him. _

_ He steps forward, his hands reaching for her, his lips yearning to kiss every inch of her soft skin. But Sookie pushes him lightly away. "Not so fast," she says with a teasing smile. "Let's get clean before we get dirty." She grabs a thin washcloth, lathering it with a bar of soap. "Turn around," she commands. _

_ Completely aroused and stunned, Eric does as he's told. He faces the shower wall once more and jumps when he feels Sookie's hand on his shoulders. Slowly, she rubs his body down, massaging every kink in his back. She makes her away down to his waist, and then his bottom. He groans in frustration. Her hands are everywhere at once. His skin is on fire. "Please," he says. "I need to touch you."_

_ "Not yet." Sookie removes her hands, and Eric shivers at the loss of contact. "Turn around," she says. _

_ Complying, Eric turns around so that's he's facing Sookie. Her brown eyes are dark, intense as they rake over his body. A seductive smile curves on the tip of her mouth. And then she's washing him again, her hands moving across his chest in tiny, circular patterns. Eric closes his eyes, relishing the contact, biting his lip as she moves closer and closer to his arousal. _

_ And then her mouth replaces her hands, and she's kissing his abs, sucking on the wet skin. Eric inhales sharply, in total awe of the beautiful blonde crouching before him. She moves lower, grazing the sensitive skin of his erection. Her hot breath is threatening to send him over the edge before she's even started. "Eric, Eric -"_

"Eric, are you there? Can I come in?" The knocking at the door is insistent, and Eric jolts awake. He sits up in his desk and wipes a small swipe off drool off of the corner of his mouth. God, how long has he been asleep for? He stayed at the office last night handling all of the Swenson shit that's been going down. There's definitely a mole in their research, and he won't be able to solve things from Shreveport. By the time he finished all of his work last night, it was already four in the morning, so he just stayed at the office and took a power nap. A four-hour power nap.

His bends his back and is rewarded with a loud crack. "God," he mumbles, "Why didn't I just sleep in the couch?"

The knocking continues, so he finally calls out, "What is it?"

"It's Sookie, may I come in?"

Eric flushes, remembering the very erotic dream he was just having. Hopefully facing Sookie after a dream like that won't be too awkward. "Yes, come in."

The door opens, and Sookie strides in with a cup of coffee. She's wearing a black pencil skirt, and a yellow flowing blouse. As always, Eric tries his best not to stare at her cleavage, but it just always looks so welcoming. "Here's your coffee," she says. Eric smirks, noticing how careful she is when she places it on the table. Sookie straightens up and looks at Eric. She frowns slightly. "God, you look awful." She immediately claps her hands over her mouth. "I didn't mean it like that. Oh, gosh. I'm sorry."

Eric laughs and waves her off, charmed by her embarrassment. Sometimes she seems so surefooted and confident, but she's been getting flustered around him lately. "That's all right. I had to pull a late night yesterday. I guess it shows."

"Did you sleep here?"

Eric nods and takes a sip of the coffee. It's perfect. At least they're starting the day out right. "Sookie," he says. "There's something we need to talk about. Something we should have talked about yesterday, but honestly, I was avoiding the topic." Kissing Sookie was not the smartest idea. Granted- he very much enjoyed it, but where do they go from there? Not only is she his employee, but she works directly with him every day. He was hoping working with her would build a friendship, and then maybe later, when she's moved to another department or left the firm, then they could be together.

"We don't have to talk about it," Sookie says. "It's fine. No problem. Let's just pretend it didn't happen."

Eric sighs, tempted to take the easy way out. "I just want to apologize, Sookie. It was entirely inappropriate of me to kiss you-" _not that I regret one moment of it _"and I hope we can put it behind us."

"Of course. No problem." _She's going to say 'of course' to whatever I say_, Eric thinks_, she's walking on eggshells because I've given her a second chance at this job. _

"Okay. I just wanted to clear the air." Sookie is avoiding his gaze, and for the hundredth time, he wonders what the kiss meant to her. After all, she responded and seemed to be enjoying herself, but what does it mean? Was she just outpouring her stress? Or does she like him?

"Is that all for now?" Sookie asks. "Jessica asked for me, said she needed help on a project."

"Yes, yes, she told me. We need all hands on deck for what she's working on. Go ahead." Eric starts flipping through his calendar as Sookie leaves the room. "Wait!" He says.

She turns around. "What?"

"I meant to ask you- is there any way that you could work this weekend? I could use some help on this trip to New Orleans. It's going to be a busy weekend for me, and I would appreciate the help. It'll be boring stuff- taking notes, running errands, but-"

"Yes, I'd love to." Sookie smiles softly. "I know I haven't proved myself yet, so I'd love the opportunity to show you how helpful I can be."

_Eggshells_, Eric thinks again. "Great. I'll let you know when I have more details, but if I send you the dates, will you book the hotel and-"

"I'm on top of it. Everything will be ready." Sookie smiles again. "Really, Eric. Thank you. I promise you won't regret having me around."

Eric watches as she leaves the room. _I'd never regret having you around, Sookie. I might just regret hiring you._

**A/N –**** this chapter is a little short, but I hope you enjoy it anyways! I have a school break soon, so hopefully I'll be able to write longer chapters.**

**So, yes, Sookie and Eric are going on a trip together. Excited? Did you like Eric's dream? How do you like the story so far?**

**Thanks for the R&R!**


	13. Close Quarters

**A/N ****– I'm going to do a little time jump in this chapter so we can get things moving. Thanks for the support on this story everyone!**

**Sookie POV**

Sookie spends the rest of the week working like a madwoman. She does this for two reasons. One, Eric has given her a huge opportunity with this job, and she wants to show him that she's worth it. Two, whenever she has a free second, her mind wanders towards that one amazing kiss they shared. Okay, more than a kiss. It was closer to sex on a desk. Whenever she thinks about it, her entire body flushes, and her mind starts towards very illicit thoughts.

So work has been the answer to everything. She helped Jessica on this huge project that involved reorganizing the entire cataloguing system of clients. She brought Eric his perfect coffee twice a day. She took and typed up notes at every meeting. She even tried sucking up to Pam- but that didn't go too well. And now, it's Friday, and in ten minutes, she'll be leaving for New Orleans with Eric.

Sookie steps into the woman's bathroom, a large tote bag in her hand. It's almost a six-hour drive to New Orleans, and she doesn't plan on wearing business clothes in the car. After all, they won't be getting to the hotel until eleven at night, so she won't have to look proper until the next day. She heads into one of the stalls and changes into a casual, peach cotton skirt and a sleeveless white shirt. She takes off her heels and slips on a pair of comfortable flats.

Her stomach does a few nervous flips as she looks in the mirror. She hired a chauffeured car to drive Eric and her to New Orleans- that means they'll be stuck in close quarters together for almost six hours. That's a long time to spend with your boss. And it's a really long time to spend with your boss that you may have kissed earlier that week. Sookie tries to ignore her nerves. She swipes on a coat of lipstick, checks her foundation, and leaves the bathroom.

When she gets down to the lobby, Eric is already there. He's talking intently into his cell phone and clearly stressed out. He has had bags under his eyes all week. Obviously this Swenson case is really getting under his skin. Sookie doesn't know why he just won't drop the client- sure they're worth a ton of money, but is that worth defending the guilty? Eric looks up as Sookie approaches, and he holds up a finger, signaling her to hold on a minute.

Sookie is relieved to see that he's wearing khaki shorts and a plain black t-shirt, more casual than his usual attire. Her eyes sweep over his muscled legs, and she can't help but appreciate the way his biceps look in the new shirt. "Yes. Exactly. I don't want to have this conversation again. Okay. Good." Eric slips his phone into his pocket and runs a hand through his thick, blonde hair. He does that a lot- usually when he's stressed out.

"Everything all right?" Sookie asks.

"Fine," Eric grunts.

_It doesn't sound fine_, Sookie thinks, but she doesn't pry. If Eric doesn't want to talk about it, than he's the boss, and he doesn't have to. "Well, the car should be out front. Are you ready?" Eric nods and grabs his suitcase. Then he holds out his arm. "What?" Sookie asks.

"Give me your bag. I'll carry it."

"You don't have to do that." Eric gives her a pointed look, so she hands the bag over, secretly pleased. "Thank you." The more time she spends with Eric, the more she admires him. Not only is he incredibly talented, but he's also generous and kind, and he's great with his employees. It's hard to believe that Bill ever worked for a man like Eric. The two just don't mesh well in her mind together.

They head out to the parking lot, and there's a town car waiting right out front. Sookie thought about hiring a limo instead, but a town car seemed plenty big and a lot cheaper. "Mr. Northman, Miss Stackhouse," this driver says. "How are you today?" He takes their bags and places them in the trunk.

"Fine, thank you." Eric is already looking at his cell phone, checking email after email, the worry lines appearing on his face.

The driver opens the door for them, and they slide in next to each other. Okay, maybe a limo would have been more spacious. The car is no bigger than an average sedan, and Sookie is overaware of how close her thigh is to Eric's. He's still staring at his phone, but six hours of this might drive Sookie crazy. It's been easy enough to avoid contact with him at the office- he stays on one side of the desk, and she stays on the other. But now they're tucked into the backseat of a car with hours ahead of them and very little personal space. Sookie bites her lip and tries not to stare at Eric's large hands.

"All set?" The driver asks. There's a tinted window between the front and back seat, so the driver speaks through an intercom.

"All set," Eric responds.

The car pulls into drive and they're on their way.

The first few hours of the ride are incredibly boring, but bearable. Eric is either checking emails on his phone or making calls. Sookie, after checking over their itinerary for the weekend a third time, slips a paperback novel out of her bag and tries to read. But she can't pay attention. Maybe it's because it's a romance novel. Maybe it's because she hasn't had sex for one month too many. Whatever it is, Sookie can't seem to keep her eyes on the page. They keep wandering over to Eric, scanning over his legs, his arms, his face.

Eventually he catches her looking, and he smiles very slightly. Sookie blushes fiercely and looks away, but Eric says, "Sorry, I've been such a bore. I've just got a lot on my plate right now. Some of these cases are turning into nightmares."

"That's all right," Sookie says. "Is there anything I can help with?"

"You've done more than enough this week, especially planning this trip." He leans towards her, and Sookie's breath hitches. Why are his eyes so damn green? "I really appreciate it, Sookie. You've met my expectations and then some." _Why does _and then some _sound dirty? Why are his eyes lingering on my legs? _

Sookie tries to scoot away without drawing attention to herself. She's scared if she stays this close to Eric, she might try something stupid. _This is silly_, she thinks_, I don't even like him. I'm just...deprived of male attention and he happens to be in my line of vision. _"It's not a problem. I'm glad things have started to work out."

They continue to make idle chat, but as the sun begins to set, Sookie's eyes begin to droop. She's only been sleeping about five hours a night, and the long week at work is starting to weigh down on her. Eventually, she stops talking and drifts off to sleep.

When she wakes up, everything is warm and hazy. She snuggles in closer. She's just so comfortable. Slowly, she opens her sleepy eyes. That's when she realizes that her head is resting on Eric's shoulder and his hand is resting on her thigh. She tries to still her breathing. Eric seems to be dead asleep. _This is definitely not professional_, she thinks_, but it's just so comfortable. _Something about being cuddled up next to Eric just feels so right, like she's at home, right where she should be. She should get up. She should move. It isn't appropriate.

She glances at Eric from the side of her eyes. He looks so peaceful, content. She bites her lip. She should move. Really. But instead, she closes her eyes and goes right back to sleep.

**A/N ****– Okay. Question time! Please ask me whatever you'd like about the story or just make some suggestions and I'll reply!**

**Thanks for keeping up with the story! Reviews keep me writing! You guys are the best : ) **


	14. Expectations

**A/N ****– There's a poll and an answer to your questions at the bottom of this chapter. Thanks so much everyone!**

**Eric POV**

Eric shifts, leaning in closer to the warmth beside him. His fingers curl around soft skin, and he nuzzles his head against silky hair, inhaling the scent of lilac and lavender. His eyelids are heavy with sleep, but eventually, he opens them and finds himself staring down at a curled up, sleeping Sookie. Her normally animated face is calm and peaceful, and her delicate fingers are lightly touching his own. Eric can't help but smile. He knows this is inappropriate behavior, but it just feels so right to have Sookie pressed against him, so natural and happy. Maybe he'll just go back to sleep, and they can at least stay like this for another hour.

Then the car rolls over a pothole and Sookie jolts awake. Her gaze immediately meets Eric's, and she blushes and, fumbling, shifts over to the other side of the car. Eric feels cold with her sudden absence. _Stupid pothole, stupid driver, can't I just get one moment of peace in this entire hell of a week? _Sookie is still blushing fiercely as she adjusts her skirt and wipes the sleep from her eyes. Eric smirks, amused that she's so uncomfortable around him. He takes it as a good sign. Obviously he has some kind of effect on this blonde beauty.

She clears her throat. "Um, do you know what time it is?"

Eric glances at his watch, squinting his tired eyes. "Almost eleven. We should be there soon."

"Wow, I guess I slept for a long time."

"We both did." Eric smirks again, and Sookie blushes again. _Yes, I definitely have some kind of effect on her. _Eric leans forward in his seat, stretching his limbs. His back cracks loudly.

Sookie looks at him, concerned. "That didn't sound very good."

"I'm pretty sore," Eric responds grimacing. "I've had to get sleep wherever I could find it this week- at desks, bad couches, the backseats of cars."

"Do you think things will calm down soon?"

The Swenson case has been a bigger nightmare than Eric would have ever imagined. Not only was their case borderline defendable to begin with, but now, the research they were making headway with is possibly being sabotaged. The trial date is in two weeks, but if Eric and the Swensons can't gather enough evidence by then, they'll most likely lose the case. "Soon, hopefully. We'll lose the case or win the case. Either way, I'll be done with it two weeks from now."

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not that I can think of. I might take you on the tour of the laboratory tomorrow, so just keep your eyes and ears open. I'm worried that I'm not on the top of my game right now, so I might miss something."

Sookie bites her lip. _She's always biting her lip_, Eric thinks, and as always, his eyes are drawn to the reddened skin. Sometimes he thinks about firing her just so he can ask her out on a proper date, just so he can kiss her one more time. But sacking a girl probably isn't the most romantic gesture in the world. Not to mention, she's been a huge help this week. He can't imagine letting her go and finding another secretary when he's up to his neck in work.

The intercom buzzes, and the driver says, "Okay, Mr. Northman and Miss Stackhouse, we're pulling into the hotel now."

Eric breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank god. Even after all of that sleep in the car, there's nothing I'd rather do right now than crawl into a comfortable hotel bed." _Okay, maybe I'd rather have Sookie crawl in there with me. _

Sookie begins to gather her things, placing them into her purse. She takes out a huge folder, her eyes scanning over it rapidly, fingers tracing down the lines. "All right, so we have an eleven o'clock brunch with Mr. Swenson and his son tomorrow morning, and then we're taking a tour of the laboratory at two."

"Sound easy enough. Anything else?" The car pulls into park, and Sookie and Eric exit the car, stretching their tired limbs.

"Well, there is one thing," Sookie says. She looks a little nervous.

"What is it?" Eric tips the driver, grabs their bag from the car, and they start heading towards the hotel.

"Well, I was talking to Jessica yesterday, and she mentioned that steak is by far your favorite food, and when I was booking the hotel, I asked the receptionist if she knew any good places to eat in the area, and she said that there was a little steakhouse down the block that served the best steak in Louisiana. It's pretty small, but she swore that it will be the best steak you've ever had." Sookie, slightly winded from saying everything so quickly, takes a small breath. "So I made us a seven o'clock reservation." She looks up at Eric and continues, rambling, "But, I mean, I can cancel it. You're obviously exhausted. I'm sure you'll just want to go back to the hotel and finish your work and everything. And that's fine. I'll give them a call when I get up to the room-"

Frustrated by her refusal to stop talking, Eric steps forward and places his hand over Sookie's mouth. Her eyes widen and her breath stills. God, he loves being this close to her, close enough to smell her lavender shampoo, close enough to feel the warmth radiating off of her body. "Sookie, I would love to go to dinner with you tomorrow night." He words it that way on purpose, hopefully insinuating that he's looking forward to spending time with her more than he's looking forward to the steak. He removes his hand and takes a small step back, still maintaining eye contact. "It was very thoughtful of you to make those reservations."

Sookie smiles softly, obviously please. "Oh, okay. Good. You deserve a break."

Sometimes, in moments like this, Eric lets himself hope that Sookie truly does like him. It's so hard to tell if she's just being a faithful employee or if she actually cares about him, but moments like this give him a tiny bit of hope. "Thank you, Sookie. I'm looking forward to it."

With the matter settled, they enter the hotel, and Sookie heads to the receptionist's desk. "Hi," she says. "We have reservations under Northman." After a few minutes of typing things into the computer, the receptionist slides two plastic keycards across the desk. "Thank you," Sookie says.

The hotel is beautiful in an understated way. It's a lot small than some of the monstrosities Eric has stayed at before. The atmosphere here is tasteful and warm. Sookie hands Eric his card. "We're on the top floor," she says. They head to the elevator and step inside. The doors ping and let them off on a deserted floor.

Eric steps into the hallway. "There are only two rooms up here," he says.

"It's a smaller hotel. I think there are more rooms on the lower floor, but these ones are a bit bigger than the others. The receptionist called them the business suites."

"Oh, all right."

They stand awkwardly in the hallway. It's almost midnight now, and despite feeling tired earlier, Eric's body is tense and on edge. Something about staying in a hotel with Sookie, even if they have separate rooms, is putting his mind and body on full alert. The way she's fidgeting with her keycard makes Eric think that maybe she's having similar feelings. "Well, goodnight, I guess," Sookie says.

Eric clears his throat. "Yes, goodnight." He watches as she walks down the small length of the hall, eyes following the curve of her partially bare legs. Shaking his head, he turns around and heads into his own suite.

The room is spacious but warm. The carpet is thick and plush, and Eric kicks off his shoes, letting his bare feet sink into the soft floor. He heads to the window and opens the blinds, welcomed with a view of the city. Shreveport isn't tiny, but New Orleans is huge in comparison, lights sparkling the city even this late at night. One day, Eric hopes to come here for vacation, not business. He glances at the huge, very comfortable looking bed, but he's just not tired anymore. Minutes pass as he stands, staring out the large window.

His thoughts keep circling back to Sookie, and he lets his mind wander, indulging in fantasy. What if she came to his door? Dressed in a small bathrobe that clinged to the curves of her body. He would let her in, and she would come inside, a seductive smile painted across her full lips. She would slip off her bathrobe, letting Eric's eyes rake over her perfect, golden body. And then she would come forward, slowly, desire in her eyes, and she would press one delicate hand against his bare chest and say-

There's a knock on the door, and Eric jumps in surprise, trying to clear his mind of its illicit thoughts. His mouth suddenly feels very dry. Who else could be at the door besides Sookie? What if she really is coming for him? Anticipation starts welling in his stomach as he calls out. "Who is it?"

"It's Sookie."

Maybe, maybe this is really happening. He shouldn't let it. She's his employee, but if she wants him as badly as he wants her, who says they should fight it? Eric opens the door, and literally gulps in shock. She _is _wearing a bathrobe, not as short as he fantasized, but the white cotton sets off her perfect tan, and the material barely hides the sinful curves of her body. Long, wet hair falls down her back, and Eric is overwhelmed by lust and desire. "Sookie?" He manages to ask, his voice coming out in a low growl.

She looks up. Eric swears he sees the lust in her eyes. She opens her mouth. _She's going to ask to come in, I know it_, he thinks. Her pink, full lips part, and she says, "Eric, I wanted to ask if-"

_**To be continued...**_

**A/N ****– Don't hate me : ) I promise I will update soon, and we'll see what happens with Sookie and Eric.**

**Also, I have a poll. I want to know where you guys would like this story to go, and I'll take your opinions into consideration. Here are your choices:**

**A) Eric and Sookie sleep together on the trip and decide to start dating**

**B) Eric and Sookie sleep together on the trip but the situation is complicated, and for the moment, they try to ignore it and remain professional afterwards**

**C) Eric and Sookie don't sleep together on the trip. They become friends first, and eventually get together when Sookie no longer works for Eric**

**D) Eric and Sookie never get together and always remain completely clothed and professional (haha, just kidding) **

**Of course, let me know if you have another ending in mind!**

**And here are the responses to the recent reviews:**

**TMack25 ****– I'll try and make the chapters a little bit longer, but in the past, people have requested shorter chapters and more frequent updates**

**ljhjelm49 ****– I can't reveal if there's a Swenson mole, but I'm glad that you've become interested in my attempt at a side plot : ) **

**AgeG ****– I'm not sure how long the story is going to be right now. I think it'll be a complicated road to complete happiness for Eric and Sookie, so there's definitely a ways to go. **

**Northmannorthman ****– He was talking to a person on the Swenson case, but it's mostly unimportant. He's just stressed about the workload. **

**Realjena and pinkygirl01 ****– That was definitely an eye color mistake. Sorry guys! **


	15. Suspicions

**A/N ****– I broke 200 reviews. Yay! Thanks everyone!**

**Thanks for all of the poll responses- the answers were really varied, so I guess you'll have to wait and see where this story goes. Also, I know I usually alternate, but I'm doing two Eric POV chapters in a row. Thanks!**

**Eric POV**

She looks up. Eric swears he sees the lust in her eyes. She opens her mouth. _She's going to ask to come in, I know it, _he thinks. Her pink, full lips part, and she says, "Eric, I wanted to ask if-" Eric leans forward, ready to pull her into his arms, claim her lips with his own "-I could borrow a hairdryer? They forgot to put one in my room."

Eric's mind stalls. _A hairdryer? She hasn't come to announce her unbearable passion for me? _He tries to reboot his brain. The scenarios that were flashing in his mind were so vivid, almost tangible, but all Sookie wants is to borrow a hairdryer. He must be staring at her for a while, because Sookie continues, "Are you all right?"

He scratches behind his ear. "Um, yes. Of course. A hairdryer. Come in on, and I'll see if I can find one."

Sookie strides into the apartment, and Eric silently curses her. _Did she have to wear a bathrobe? Does the woman realize what she does to me? _His eyes watch the fabric move across her bottom as she walks towards the window, and just the thought that she's naked under her scant clothing causes Eric to shift stance and adjust his pants. He retreats to the bathroom, opening drawers and cabinets in search for a hairdryer. At last, he finds one in the bottom drawer.

"Here," he says, heading back into the main room. Sookie is standing at the window, staring out at the city lights. She looks serene. Content. And still undeniably sexy. "I found one. Here you go."

Sookie turns around and smiles softly. She takes the hairdryer, their hands briefly touching, like always, sends a jolt of electricity through Eric's body. He's never been so affected by the presence of a woman before, and for the life of him, he doesn't know why it's like this with Sookie, why he's so drawn to her. "I love your view," she says. "My room faces the other side of the hotel. I get to look out on a very picturesque parking lot."

"My view is your view. Look as long as you'd like." _Besides, the longer you spend looking at the New Orleans cityscape, the longer I get to spend looking at you. _Eric thinks the words he cannot speak.

"Thanks, but I should probably get back to my room. We have an early start tomorrow. Would you like me to make sure you're up in the morning?"

Eric smiles. "It's not necessary. I can never sleep past seven or eight in the morning. As soon as I started, Eric Northman & Co, I started waking up early, an internal alarm clock warning me that I can't possible do everything I need to if I waste time sleeping in."

"That's a shame. There's nothing I love more than spending a day in bed, curled up with a mug of tea and a good book." The picture in Eric's head is vivid, and he can imagine crawling into bed with Sookie, an arm around her bare shoulder, sipping on coffee and reading the morning paper while she nestles into his chest.

"Maybe one day I'll get to indulge in that pleasure." _And many other pleasures. _Sookie looks flushed, and Eric wonders if she can read his thoughts. _God, wouldn't that be a laugh? She'd think I was some sex-obsessed maniac. _Usually Eric's thoughts are consumed by his firm and his work, his romantic life pushed to the background, but whenever Sookie is around, something deep down is spurred within him, and his mind always circles back to her. "But for now, I should probably get to sleep also. If I'm lucky, I might get seven hours tonight, and in my book, that constitutes sleeping in."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks again for the hairdryer." Sookie lingers in the doorway before she leaves, her dark eyes unsure. She opens her mouth to say something, but then closes it. Smiling to herself, she shakes her head, and closes the door behind her.

_I wonder what that was about_, Eric thinks. _Maybe Sookie has secrets too. _And then his mind is off again, back to indulging in fantasies, of unspoken desires. When he finally crawls into bed and switches off the lights, Sookie's soft smile eases him to sleep.

* * *

><p>The Swensons are late to brunch. Eric and Sookie sit at a corner table inside of a small café. The restaurant is busy, but subdued, people softly chatting over their French toast and parfaits. For a fifth time, Eric glances at his watch. He is never tardy. Ever. And he expects the same from his clients.<p>

"I wonder what's holding them up," Sookie says. She, as always, looks beautiful. Today she's wearing a yellow sundress that sets off her bronzed skin, baring her toned arms. Her hair is twisted up in an intricate bun, but a few strands of hair fall away, perfectly framing her beautiful face. Eric's eyes keep glancing at her pink lips. They look so kissable in the morning light.

_If only she knew what she does to me. _"I'm not sure. It's not like them to be late." Eric slides his phone out of his pocket. "No missed calls."

"I guess we can only wait." Sookie stirs her iced tea before taking a small sip.

"I guess so."

And then, just as Eric is checking his watch for the sixth time, Mr. Swenson's son approaches. He's wearing a dark suit, a bit too dressed up for a casual brunch. But more notably, he's alone. "Michael. Good to see you."

Eric holds out his hand, and Michael shakes it firmly. "Sorry I'm late. I was held up at the office.

"Not a problem. We didn't even notice." Eric glances around one more time before asking- "Where's your father?"

Michael grimaces. "He couldn't make it, I'm afraid. Tied up in meetings for the rest of the day. But I'm happy to take over. Between you and me, my father has a few too many years under his belt, and I think we both know it's time for me to step up."

_This is an eager one_, Eric thinks. He's seen it all before. A lot of his clients deal with family businesses, and there's always a son or daughter on the sidelines, waiting to usurp his father when he makes a big mistake. "Well I'm glad that you could make it," Eric says. "Please sit."

They make idle small talk while they order and eat their food. Eric notices how Michael seems to be all too preoccupied with Sookie. "I remember you from the meetings," Michael says, picking a blackberry off of his plate and popping it into his mouth.

"Really? I try to go unnoticed."

"You're much too beautiful to go unnoticed." Michael smiles charmingly, and Eric wants to throw up. _At least Sookie is too smart to fall for an idiot like this._

But Sookie is sitting there, blushing prettily. "Oh, that's not true."

Michael turns to Eric. "I'm pretty jealous you get to work with this one every day."

Eric clears his throat, trying to quell the pit of jealously rising inside of him. "Perhaps we should start talking about the case now?"

"Sure. Why not?" Michael shrugs his shoulders.

Eric notices that Sookie dutifully digs out a notebook and pen. He catches her eyes and smiles. When she smiles back, everything feels just a little bit better. "I'm going by the laboratory later today to check things out, but what makes you think that there's a mole in the research?"

Michael dabs his face with a napkin and leans forward in his chair. "I'm going to be honest with you, Eric. I absolutely do _not _think there's a mole in our research. Everything you've been told is all my father's crazy theories and suspicions. He's scared to lose the company, and so he's paranoid." Michael glances at Sookie. "I want this off the record. My father is not fit to be in charge of this company anymore. And if we want to win the case, I think you need to start deferring your questions to me, not him."

There's a bad taste in Eric's mouth. Something about Michael Swenson seems off. He's too eager to sell out and demean his father. Of course, Eric can't say that, so instead, he says, "That's very interesting, Michael. I'll have to take this under consideration. Obviously I just want to do what's best for the case and for your company."

"Of course." Michael smiles. "But truly, please don't waste your time coming by the laboratory today. Spend the afternoon enjoying the city instead of hunting after a problem that isn't there." Michael's phone buzzes in his pocket. He glances at the screen. "I should take this. I think we're done here anyways. I'm sorry that you had to come all the way out here, Eric. I'll see you soon in Shreveport." Michael slips a fifty-dollar bill out of his wallet and throws it on the table. "Please. Lunch is on me."

And then before Eric can respond, Michael is striding out of the restaurant.

"That was a bit...odd," Sookie says, mirroring Eric's exact thoughts.

"Yes, it was. Wasn't it?"

Sookie bites her lip. "Eric. I don't mean to tell you what to do, but I think we should still go to the laboratory. And maybe have a chat with Michael's father."

Eric stares at his almost empty plate of food. Something is going very wrong with this case, but unfortunately, he has no idea what that something is. It's just a gut feeling, and from past experience, Eric knows that he can trust his gut. "I think you're right, Sookie. Michael Swenson is up to something, and I intend to find out what."

**A/N – ****So this chapter was a little plot heavy, getting into the Swenson stuff. But don't worry, there will be some very, let's say, **_**steamy**_**, Eric and Sookie chapters coming up soon. **

**Thanks for all of the great reviews everybody! Your responses inspire me to write faster : ) **


	16. After You

**Sookie POV **

Eric and Sookie sit in silence on the way back to the hotel. They just finished touring Swenson's laboratory, and the results were very unsatisfying. Michael Swenson had a junior employee give them a tour, but it was very brief. Eric didn't even have a chance to talk with any of the scientists completing the experiments on Swenson's cleaner. They were in and out of the place all within thirty minutes.

It doesn't take a high-powered lawyer to know that they're obviously hiding something. But it just doesn't make sense. Wouldn't they _want _Sookie and Eric to look around for anything suspicious? After all, Swenson hired Eric to defend them. It doesn't make sense to keep secrets from the person who is supposed to be saving your firm.

Eric sighs and leans his head against the window. Sookie can see the stress creased into the lines of his face, can see the tension is his gripped hands. She has a sudden urge to scoot over and put an arm around his shoulder, maybe even thread her fingers through his soft hair. But she doesn't. Ideas like these have been popping into Sookie's head over the last twenty-four hours, tiny desires to touch Eric, be closer to him. Of course she never acts on any of it. That would be unprofessional.

Still, she trusts Eric now, at least as an employer and friend, and it hurts her to see him so stressed out. She needs to do something to help. The car pulls into the hotel parking lot, and Eric gets up silently, slowly making his way towards the building. Sookie trails behind him, trying to think of something to cheer him up. "Are you looking forward to dinner tonight?" Eric shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe we can get a nap in beforehand."

Eric raises an eyebrow. "_We_ can get a nap?"

"Oh, you know what I mean. You can take a nap, and I can take a nap. Separately."

"Of course." His blue eyes look a little livelier, and Sookie feels flustered when they graze over her body. "I was just joking."

The thought of going upstairs and falling into bed with Eric Northman sounds absolutely amazing. The few hours of sleep Sookie got in the car, cuddled against his large, warm body, was the most relaxing moment of her entire week. She had felt safe, secure, and happy. But as soon as they pulled into the hotel, Sookie had tried to shake off any more-than-friendly feelings she was having. After all, they were in New Orleans for a business trip, not a romantic getaway.

Eric continues, "But yes, a nap actually sounds like a great idea." He rubs a hand over his tired eyes, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Just thinking about Michael Swenson makes me exhausted. I don't know what that little shit-" Sookie's eyes widen. _Did Eric just call his employer a little shit? _"is up to, but I'm sure as hell going to find out before we go to trial."

* * *

><p>Sookie finishes dabbing on a second coat of red lipstick before looking at herself in the mirror. <em>Not half bad<em>, she thinks, turning from side to side. She might be a little over dressed, but it's supposed to be nice restaurant, and it's not like she has anything else to change into. The white dress falls just above her knees, but the bodice clings tightly to her body, showing off her taut stomach and revealing more than a hint of her ample breasts. Her tan looks dark and healthy in contrast to the white material, and the red lipstick makes her mouth look full and seductive.

_Not that I'm trying to be seductive. This is a business dinner. Kind of. _Sookie slides on a pair of nude heels, knowing that Eric will still tower over her when they stand next to each other. Bill had been on the short side. When she got dressed, she always had to worry that she would be taller then him. Bill said that made him feel inferior. Sookie shakes her head, _that's because he was inferior. _She hasn't thought much about Bill in the past week. She's been so busy with work, and honestly, so caught up in Eric Northman, that Bill has conveniently slipped into the back of her mind, a distant memory. She hopes he'll stay that way.

As a finishing touch, Sookie slips on a pair of tiny gold earrings, the ones her Gran gave her years ago. They're small, yet beautiful. She runs her fingers through her hair one more time. And then there's a knock on the door.

Sookie walks over and opens the door. For some reason, her stomach is doing nervous flip-flops. Eric is standing there, looking unbelievably attractive in a simple, black suit. His usually messy hair is swept back, revealing deep blue eyes. Too entranced to feel ashamed, Sookie slowly runs her eyes up and down Eric's body. _So this is what a man looks like_, she thinks. Unconsciously, she bites her lower lip.

Eric smirks slightly, but his eyes are full of intensity. _He looks like he wants to skip the restaurant and eat me for dinner. _The idea is more than tempting. Sookie keeps trying to push these thoughts to the back of her mind, but the truth is, she knows Eric Northman is interested in her, at least physically. You don't just kiss someone like he kissed her without some kind of desire built up inside. "Are you ready to go?" Eric asks. His voice is low and soft.

Sookie nods. "Let me grab my purse."

The short drive to the restaurant is filled with tension. Eric is driving the car tonight, so Sookie sits up front with him. His eyes keep flicking over to her as he maneuvers the car down backroads. Sookie places her hands in her lap, but she wants to reach over and touch Eric. She clenches her hands tighter so that they'll stay in place. By the time they reach the restaurant, Sookie decides she'll need a drink to get through the rest of the night.

The restaurant is as tiny as promised. There are already a few people seated, and they all look like couples, sitting close together, hands reaching for wineglasses. Sookie blushes, wishing she hadn't chosen such a romantic place. Not that she had known what it would be like. A hostess sits them at a table in the back corner, and Sookie smiles when Eric pulls out her chair. "Thanks," she says.

Eric's hands brush against the bare skin of her back when he slides the chair back into place. Sookie's skin tingles. "This looks nice," Eric says as he sits down.

He's staring at Sookie. Not the restaurant. "Yes, I'm excited to try the steak."

A waitress comes over, and they order a bottle of red wine and two large streaks. "We might as well splurge a little," Eric says, "Seeing as how Michael was so kind to pay for brunch earlier."

Michael Swenson. Sookie trusts that guy even less than Bill Compton. And he had the nerve to hit on her this morning. She remembers flushing with annoyance. She had to bite her tongue to keep from saying something rude- can't insult the client in front of her boss. "Yes, how kind of him." Sookie's voice is edged with sarcasm, and Eric laughs lightly.

"I take it you didn't like him much either."

"To say the least."

Eric smiles. The wine arrives, and he pours out two glasses. "What shall we toast to?" He asks.

"To winning the case, of course," Sookie responds. "I'm sure all your hard work will pay off in the end."

"I was thinking of making a toast to you instead. A congratulations on a fantastic first week of work. Honestly, I don't know how I would have gotten everything done without you."

Sookie blushes, and they tip their glasses together with a light ring. "Thank you, but honestly, I didn't do that much. Just helped you organize and what not."

"Not much? Until you cleared out my desk, I had no idea where those files for the Morris case were or that I had a stack of unfilled insurance work or that-"

"Okay, okay. I guess I helped a little bit." The wine is already affecting Sookie. Her head feels light, and her body is flushed with warmth. She smiles, and takes another sip. "I'm glad we're doing this. You've been so stressed out lately. It's good for you to get out and enjoy yourself. After all, you do own the company, you deserve a night off every now and again."

"That is true." The dim lighting makes Eric looks all the more attractive. The candlelight reflects, flickering in his blue eyes. Throughout the meal, Sookie finds herself leaning forward, eyes slowly moving over his curved lips and strong jaw.

They make idle chat throughout the dinner, pleasant but surface level. The entire time, there's an underlying tension. Especially in those moments when they both go silent, yet there eyes remain locked onto each other. The wine bottle is empty by the time the waitress brings their check, and Sookie is teetering between tipsy and drunk. Eric fumbles with the pen as he fills out the receipt. He had even more to drink than Sookie, and obviously, the wine is also affecting him.

"I'm not sure if I should be driving yet," Eric says as they walk outside. The air is dry and warm, and a light breeze blows against Sookie's neck.

"Why don't we walk? It's just over a mile."

Eric raises an eyebrow, and he looks at Sookie's heels, eyes slowly grazing over the rest of her legs. "You sure you can walk in those?"

Sookie shrugs her shoulders. "They're not that bad." _Okay, actually, they kind of hurt_. But the wine is getting to Sookie's head, and she doesn't care about sore ankles at the moment. She just wants to get back to the hotel and...she just wants to get back.

"If you say so." Eric holds out his arm. "Here. Lean on me. The sidewalks are uneven."

"All right." Sookie threads her arm through Eric's, and together, they begin to walk down the streets of New Orleans. Every now and then, she falters in her step and has to lean against Eric for support. He's always there to hold her firm and steady, and by the time they reach the hotel, Sookie is leaning completely into his warm body. Tingles run through her skin at every point of contact, his hand clasping hers, her bare arm against the fabric of his suit, her head lightly brushing against his shoulder.

The silence that was pleasant on their walk now feels filled with tension as they enter the elevator. Sookie regretfully lets go of Eric's arm, leaning against the back of the elevator for support. The air crinkles with unspoken words. When the elevator pings, Eric and Sookie both step out.

"Well, goodnight then," Sookie says. But she doesn't make a move to leave. Eric is staring at her with the deep blue eyes, and this time, she can truly see the lust in his gaze. She knew suppressing that one kiss would lead to this eventually. The tension would always be there, waiting to snap.

Eric steps forward, his eyes never breaking contact with Sookie. She tries to take a small breath, but all she can do is stand there, staring at Eric, waiting for what they both want. He keeps moving until they're less an inch apart and she can feel his warm breath on her face. He opens his mouth, and in a low voice says, "Sookie."

And then he's kissing her, pushing her up against the cool wall of the hotel, and threading his fingers through her hair. Sookie responds instantly, meeting the persistent begging of his lips with equal passion. Her tongue slips between his lips, and Eric groans into her mouth. Deep down, Sookie knows she's been waiting all week for this one moment of release. She reaches up, tangling her fingers in Eric's soft hair, pulling his head closer to hers. His breath is warm, and his kisses and deep and insistent, lighting a fire withinn Sookie.

She presses her body closer, wanting to feel every part of Eric pushed against her. Eric grabs her thighs and lifts Sookie off of the floor, letting her legs wrap around his waist. Her head slams into the wall as they press closer together, but she doesn't care. Eric is kissing down her neck, biting and nipping the tender skin. A tiny moan escapes Sookie, and she starts to rock against Eric's hips, feeling his arousal through the thin fabric of his trousers. She wants more. She wants all of him. "Eric," she says, and her voice comes out low and throaty. "Maybe we should go inside your room."

Eric pulls his mouth away, his blue eyes dark and intense. Sookie feels her entire body tighten. The lust she feels for this man is unimaginable. "That's probably a good idea," he says. Slowly, he lowers her to the ground, and Sookie tries standing on two wobbly legs. Eric smiles, his lips curving sensuously. He motions down the hallway and says, "After you."

**A/N ****– Come on. You should expect cliffhangers from me by now. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. I tried to make it a bit longer than usual. Sookie and Eric finally get a little relief- now let's just see if they get a lot of relief in the next chapter. **

**Would you guys like this story to be on the longer side or do you think I should wrap it up soon? **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


	17. Gallantry

**Eric POV**

Eric slams Sookie against the door as soon as they enter his room. She gasps, but quickly responds by wrapping her arms around him, pulling his head down to meet her lips. Her kisses are hot and insistent, and the neediness reaches Eric all the way down to his half-hard cock. Sookie's body is soft warm skin and full curves. Eric reaches beneath her dress, grabs her by her thighs, and wraps her legs tightly around his waist.

Sookie groans in approval, and her body starts rocking against Eric's arousal. Their mouths clash against each other, quick, biting kisses. Eric tilts Sookie's head back against the wall so head can reach the sensitive skin on her neck, and he's rewarded with small whimpers from Sookie every time he sucks or nips his way down the arc of her neck. But it's not enough. He wants more. He needs to be closer to her, inside of her.

With Sookie still wrapped around him, he walks over to the large bed and throws her on it. She lands with a soft thud, and Eric quickly climbs on top of her, pressing her warm body against the mattress. Sookie squirms under him, adjusting so that their legs are locked onto each other. Every move she makes arouses him further. And eventually, he can't stand the layers of clothes between them. Sookie's dark eyes follow him as he strips off his shirt and pants. She's biting her reddened lip, and her hair is mussed, falling messily down to her shoulders. She's utterly arousing.

"Take off your dress," he says. He wants to see her strip. Wants to see her slowly reveal every inch of her golden body.

Sookie gives him a lusty look before crawling over the length of the bed and stepping down. She leaves less than a foot between them, and her dark eyes staring him down. "Would you mind unzipping me?" She asks, her voice rough and low.

She turns around, and Eric steps forward to undo the back of her white dress. His hands caress her soft skin, and he bends over to kiss her between the shoulder blades. The material falls from her body, pooling to the ground around her feet. Eric stares at the back of Sookie, clothed only in lingerie and heels. His erection hardens further as his eyes sweep over her round bottom, covered only in a lacy thong. Sookie bends over to unclasp her shoes, and Eric lets out a low growl at the sight. It's the most seductive thing he's ever seen.

As soon as Sookie finishes taking off her shoes, Eric pushes her back onto the bed, pressing his body tightly against her own, claiming her mouth once more. Sookie responds with equal ferocity, her smooth legs wrapping around Eric's waist, rocking against him, hot and heavy friction. In all of his daydreams and fantasies, Eric never imagined it could have been like this. He never imagined Sookie would feel this good pressed beneath him.

He pulls his mouth away from her swollen lips and starts to make lingering, heated kisses down the length of her body, suckling on her neck, her collar bone. When he reaches her breasts, he slowly caresses each one with his hand before leaning in and biting a nipple through the lacy material. "Eric," Sookie says, her body arcing into his own. Smiling, Eric reaches behind Sookie to unclasp her bra. The material falls away, revealing two gorgeous breasts with tight, erect nipples. "Touch me," Sookie says, her low and throaty voice hardening Eric's dick.

Eric bends over, his mouth lightly sweeping over the bare skin, just barely sucking on the most sensitive spots. Sookie is writhing beneath him, her skin on fire. "You feel so good," Sookie says. Eric is shocked when Sookie's hands reach for his boxer shorts and tugs them down in one quick pull. He gasps as one of her hands wraps tightly around his erection, slowly pumping him up and down. He forgets about her breasts, completely entranced by Sookie's touch.

Sookie flips over so that she's pinning Eric against the bed, her hand never leaving his arousal. "God, you're huge," she says. Her voice lowers, "I can't wait to have you inside of me." Those few words send Eric's head spinning, his body tightening with want. He can't believe how aggressive Sookie is being. Sure, she responded to the one kiss they shared earlier in the week, but he had no clue she wanted him this way.

Now she's kissing her way down his body, running her hot tongue across his hard stomach. _ So aggressive. Why? Maybe the wine..._Suddenly it hits Eric like a cold burst of wind. _She's drunk. Of course. _She might not be blackout or completely wasted, but they finished off an entire bottle of wine together, and then he took her back to the hotel to what, take advantage of her?

Sookie's mouth is now hovering above his cock, her heated breath grazing the sensitive skin. He's never seen a more erotic sight in his entire life, maybe he should just...no. He can't. Taking a deep breath, trying to control his actions, Eric says, "Sookie stop."

She looks up at him with wide, confused eyes, her hand still lightly touching his erection. "What?"

Eric takes her hands and shifts their bodies so that they're lying a few inches apart. "Stop. We need to stop." The words feel awful as they fall from his mouth. He doesn't want to stop. He wants her. He needs her. But not like this.

. "But, why?" Hurt and confusion are traced on her face.

"You're drunk. We should just go to bed. We can talk about this tomorrow."

Suddenly the confusion transforms to anger. Sookie jumps out of bed, quickly finding her discarded dress. She throws it over her head, haphazardly pulling it over the rest of her body. Her cheeks are flaming red, with embarrassment, with anger. Eric wants to say something to make her feel better, wants to stand up and pull her warm body against his, but he can't. He's scared that if she stays in the room, his moment of gallantry will fail, and he'll rip off her clothes and take her.

Sookie gives him one scathing look before leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind her. "Fuck me," Eric says, looking down at his still half-hard cock. Being the nice guy is not what it's cracked up to be.

**A/N ****–Sorry- this is a really short chapter because I want to go into Sookie POV for the next part, but I PROMISE I'll update in the next day or two. **

**What do you think? Are you mad or happy that they didn't actually have sex?**

**Thanks for the reading and reviews! **


	18. The Truth

**Sookie POV**

Sookie wakes up with a dry mouth and a pounding head. She rolls over, grabbing the glass of water from her nightstand, drinking it down in long, slow sips. Part of her wishes her hangover were worse. Part of her wishes she drank enough to black out everything that happened last night. But she didn't. The night comes back to her crystal clear.

_Eric pressing her against the cold wall of the hotel. His hands roaming her body. Her tongue begging at the entrance of his mouth. Undressing. Stripping off their clothes. Staring at Eric's near-perfect body, hard abs and broad shoulders. Kissing her way down his body, mouth almost on his cock when..._

"Sookie stop." At first, she didn't understand what he was saying. What man tells a woman to stop when she's seconds away from giving him a blowjob? "You're drunk," he said. And yes, she was a little more than tipsy, but still perfectly capable of making the right decision. At the moment, she wanted Eric, desired him in a way she never experienced before. The wine may have helped her relax, but she knew what she was doing. Didn't Eric know that? Why did he tell her to stop? Was he trying to be gallant or did he just not want her, plain and simple?

She remembers being suddenly uncomfortable, embarrassed by her nudity. Everything was suddenly cold, tense, and awful. She hurried out of the bed, quickly grabbing her clothing, trying to make it out of the room as fast as possible, before the threatening tears started to drop. When she got back to the hotel room, she turned on the hot shower, and tried to let the steam and pressure wash away the entire night.

Her stomach drops as her alarm clock goes off. She needs to be dressed and downstairs in twenty minutes. And then spend a six-hour car ride with the last man on earth she wants to see. _Maybe he'll have to stay behind, do some extra work_, she thinks hopefully, knowing it won't happen all the same. Sighing, she drags herself out of bed and starts to get ready.

Eric is waiting in the lobby of the hotel. She sees him as soon as the elevator doors open, his blue eyes flashing to hers. He looks tense, hands tightly clutching his suitcase, forehand strained with those few faint lines. Taking a tiny breath, she gathers her bag and walks forward, straight towards him. They'll have to talk eventually. Might as well get it done now.

"Good morning," he says, hesitantly, carefully watching her expression.

"Morning." The lobby door opens, and a burst of cold wind whips across Sookie's neck. She shivers. Eric is staring at her, and she fidgets under the intense gaze. She's angry, embarrassed. But more than that, she's confused, and she wants an explanation for what happened between them. Her words come out slowly, softly, "What-" she can't meet his direct gaze, so she stares at the patch of skin just below his eye. "What happened last night? I know, well, I know neither of us want to talk about it, but we need to."

Eric stiffens, and she can see him searching for the right words. Sookie hopes the right words are also the honest words. After Bill, she couldn't stand becomming involved with another liar. "I don't know where to start," Eric begins.

"I just want the truth."

His blue eyes soften. "I can give you that." The words flow easily now. "The truth is, if you haven't noticed, I like you Sookie. And as more than just my employee. You're bright and nice, and of course beautiful. God, you're beautiful." Despite herself, Sookie blushes. "I hired you hoping to spend more time with you, and hoping to give you a shot at a good career. When you were dating Bill, I noticed you, saw how much potential you had." He pauses, and Sookie stays silent, letting him gather his thoughts. "And then we had that one kiss, and it was great. Amazing, really. But we didn't talk about it- because if we did talk about, things would have to change." His eyes flicker over her face, and she flushes. "And I didn't want things to change. Because I wanted to see you at the office every day, greeting me in the morning, knowing you'd be there until I left every night. But, of course, we couldn't ignore that kiss forever, and then last night happened..."

He trails off, sighing softly. Sookie speaks hesitantly, "Last night, Eric. What happened? Why did you throw me out?"

His eyes narrow, as if searching her for answers. "Throw you out? I...I just didn't want to take advantage of you. You were drunk."

"I wasn't _that _drunk."

"You were drunk enough. When, I mean, _if _we ever do have sex, I want you to be completely aware of the decision you're making." The thought of having sex with Eric stirs something deep within Sookie. "Sookie, you can't work for me if we decide to...explore a physical relationship. It'd be too complicated."

"Than why did you hire me in the first place? If you liked me from the beginning..."

"Because I'm a fucking idiot," Eric says, voice low and sharp. "Because I just wanted to be around you, and after Bill, you weren't letting anyone into your life, so giving you a job was the only way I knew how to be with you. I didn't think ahead. I just followed my impulses." Sookie has a lot of impulses at the moment. One says to grab Eric by the collar of his shirt and press her lips to his. The other says to slap him in the face. "Look," he continues. "I'm just trying to tell you the truth."

"I know. I appreciate that. It's just a lot to take in." A part of Sookie knew that Eric liked her, and on more than a professional level, but she kept trying to push that thought away. She didn't want to be with anyone after Bill. She wasn't ready. But she never realized the moment that she started liking Eric in return. And she definitely didn't think through the fact that she was his employee. "So what do we do now?" She asks.

"I guess that's up to you, Sookie. I'm not going to fire you. You can keep working for me, or, if you want to try to be together, I guess you can quit."

Sookie bites her lip, thinking hard. But there are too many thoughts flying back and forth in her head. She wants Eric, desires him. But is it purely physical? Is it worth giving up an amazing job for? What if she quits, tries to date Eric, and the relationship goes up in flames a week later? It just seems like too big of a risk. Besides the fact, in the back of her mind, she's still suspicious about his involvement with Swenson. "I need some time to think," Sookie finally says.

"I understand. Look, why don't you take off Monday. Think it all over, and let me know what you want on Tuesday." Eric steps forward, placing a large hand on Sookie's shoulder, staring at her so she's forced to meet his intense, blue eyes. "You have to believe me, Sookie, when I say I want what you want. Whatever will make you happy will make me happy."

The sweet, compelling words should make Sookie happy and relived.

But they don't.

Bill taught her that life isn't a fairytale, and Eric Northman is too good to be true.

**A/N ****– Woo. That conversation took longer than I expected, but I feel like they really needed to talk things out. What do you want Sookie to do? Keep working for Eric? Or quit and try dating him? **

**(Also- I had a lot of comments saying that Sookie wouldn't be drunk off half a bottle of wine. Maybe I'm a lightweight, but half a bottle gets me a lot more than tipsy. But sorry if that was confusing!)**


	19. Waiting

**Eric POV**

Pam strides into Eric's office with a thick stack of papers in her hand. "Where's Sookie?" She asks.

Eric looks up from his desk. "Why?"

"Because I have things that need to be copied, and I don't have time to do it myself." Pam impatiently taps one of her black stiletto heels against the floor. "I'm assuming she's managed to learn how to use the copy machine by now, or is that expecting too much of her?"

"She's not _your _personal assistant, Pam. I didn't hire her to do your grunt work."

"Well, if she's not going to do it, than who the hell will? I'm just as busy as you Eric. Since you've gotten yourself so swept up in the Swenson case, I've had to pick up the slack on everything else."

_That is true_, Eric thinks. He spent the entire weekend in New Orleans trying to figure out the key to winning the Swenson case, and now, on Monday morning, he's just as confused as ever. All of his other cases seem to have fallen to the wayside. "I'm sorry, Pam. Sookie's not here today."

Her eyes narrow, and Eric knows he's already done something wrong. Pam is his Vice President because she can tell what Eric is thinking without having to ask. Which is great for business- and horrible for his personal life. "Why isn't Sookie here?" She asks, feigning innocence.

"I gave her a day off."

"After a week of work?" Pam steps forward, moving closer towards Eric's desk. "Why on earth would she need a day off already?"

Eric tugs at his tie, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable. Sure, Pam knows he's interested in Sookie, but he doesn't feel like explaining the details of this past weekend quite yet. Especially not until Sookie has decided where she wants to take things. "She worked all weekend. I'm not trying to drag my employees through the dirt. She deserves a day off."

"You came into work."

"Yes- well, I am the president, aren't I?" Pam is about to respond, but Eric cuts her off. "Look, Pam, I'm overloaded with work to do today. Copy the papers yourself, and maybe we can work out getting you a secretary of your own later. I need to call a client- so if you would- get out of my office."

Sometimes it takes a firm hand to deal with Pam. Being blunt is often the best solution. "Fine," she says curtly. Before leaving, she leans over the desk, eyes locking onto Eric's. "This Sookie better be worth your time."

"She is," Eric mutters to himself as Pam leaves the office. But at this point, Eric isn't sure. This weekend in New Orleans – everything seemed to happen so quickly. They almost had sex. The only reason they didn't was because Eric thought he was being chivalrous- but obviously, if Sookie wanted chivalry, she'd have asked for it. Instead of protecting her, he'd humiliated her.

And then, the next morning, she gave him a chance to explain himself, but everything felt strained and uncomfortable. He basically told her to choose between him and her job- because he was the idiot who hired her in the first place. The car ride back to Shreveport was tense to say the least. Throughout the entire drive, part of Eric wanted to get out of the car and just _walk _home, and part of him wanted to grab Sookie by the back of her head and press his lips to hers, hopelessly trying to recreate the passion of the earlier night.

Eric sighs and rubs his tired eyes. He hasn't gotten enough sleep for months now, and the nights are just getting worse and worse. Not only is he completely stressed about the Swenson case, but now Sookie is distracting him on a whole other level. He can't believe how strongly he feels about a woman he's never even taken on a proper date. At least it will all be over tomorrow. Either she'll keep the job, and that will be that. The line will be drawn. Or...

And there's that damn flutter of hope, the knot in his stomach. What if she does quit? He can imagine her striding into the office, dressed in a tight little sundress, a smile on her face. The moment she tells him she's decided to leave the firm, he'll sweep her into his arms and kiss her without guilt, without regret. And Sookie will finally be his.

And they'll live happily ever after.

But of course. That's also impossible.

Even if Sookie does quit- will they be able to stay together? Or will the idiocy of what's he's done loom over them? Giving her a job, and then basically asking her to quit a week later. It's not fair. He can't believe he even asked her to considerate it. But yesterday it seemed like the only option, and now it's out there, and he can't take it back. He'll just have to hope that Sookie is as sweet as she is beautiful, and that she'll be able to forgive him and move past it.

* * *

><p>Eric doesn't get him until almost ten o'clock. He's starving, but he's also so exhausted that he considers skipping food and crawling into bed instead. He worked on the Swenson case all day- pulling up old files, searching the internet and newspapers for articles, calling the client again and again only to be put through to Michael Swenson's voicemail. Eric tried to find any hint as to what's going wrong with the case. Because something deep in his gut tells him that something is very, <em>very <em>wrong.

_But it will just have to wait until tomorrow_, he thinks, heading to his bedroom. He strips off his clothes, preferring to wear just boxer briefs and a t-shirt when he's at the house alone. The phone rings as he's debating whether to sleep or eat.

It takes him a while to dig it out of his work pants, so he answers on the last ring. "Hello?"

"It's Sookie." Just hearing her voice affects Eric in all sorts of way, tingling skin, a tightening in his stomach. Whenever he closes his eyes- he can see her, clad in lingerie, hovering over him, golden and perfect.

"How are you?"

"All right." Her voice is soft, hesitant. Eric is always amazed how she can be so reserved sometimes and such a fireball at others. "I was wondering if-"

She trails off, so eventually, Eric prompts her. "If what?"

"If I could come over to your house."

The words hit Eric hard in the stomach. She wants to come over. To his house. That can only mean one thing, right? Just the thought arouses him. "Yes. That'd be great," he says.

"Okay. Good. Because, I think we should talk-" _talk? _"I don't think it's fair that you're leaving this decision up to me, because, well it affects both of us. I thought about it all day- but it's not- I just can't make a decision without talking to you, without looking at you one more time." She mumbles the last part. Eric has to strain to hear her.

"Right." He's disappointed- but once again- it's his fault for misinterpreting. Everything that's wrong with their relationship always seems to be his fault. "So, I'll just text you my address than and see you soon."

"Okay."

Eric hangs up the phone and stares down at his bare feet. Sookie Stackhouse is coming to his house. _Sookie _is coming to his house. Even though she just wants to talk, the idea of it still excites him. Because when a beautiful woman comes to your house, you never know what will happen.

**A/N – ****What do you think will happen when Sookie comes over? And more importantly, what do you **_**want **_**to happen?**

**Thanks for the reading and reviewing! **


	20. Decision

**Eric POV**

The doorbell rings. Eric has never _ever _been anxious about having a woman over at his house before, but at the moment, his palms are sweating and his pulse is racing. He has no idea what to expect from Sookie. Is she coming over to yell at him? To quit? To make love to him? There are too many possibilities, and the loss of control makes Eric feel unusually vulnerable.

Sookie Stackhouse has really gotten under his skin.

When he opens the door, she's standing there, looking up at him with her big, round eyes. Her soft blonde hair is loose from its usual ponytail, and it's hanging gently over her shoulders. Eric can't help but slowly drag his eyes over her body. She's wearing a white sleeveless top and simple jean shorts, but her tan looks gorgeous, and he doesn't have to use much imagination to remember the curves beneath the clothing. Even though they didn't actually have sex, just the memory of her naked body crawling over him makes Eric hard, and he surreptitiously adjusts his pants.

"May I come in?" Sookie asks. She's clutching her purse, her fingers fiddling with the straps. _At least I'm not the only nervous one_, Eric thinks.

"Yes. Of course." Eric opens the door wider so that Sookie can step into his house. He watches her as she moves down the hallway, appreciating the backside view.

"You have a nice place."

"Thanks."

Eric has been living in the same house for years, but it's still mostly plain and undecorated. Pam picked it out for him, and she tried to convince him to hire a decorator, but he refused. He had told her, _Why would I want to put thousands of dollars into my house when I spend most of my time at the office? _Pam had shrugged her shoulders and huffed loudly, but she dropped the subject.

"So where should we go?" Sookie asks, and Eric immediately thinks of his bedroom. It'd be a lie to say he hadn't thought of her sprawled out naked on his white sheets on more than on occasion.

"How about the kitchen?"

"Okay."

As Eric passes Sookie, he gently presses a hand to her shoulder. He does it under the guise of guiding her to the kitchen, but in reality, he couldn't resist touching her skin, if only for a second. She's warm and soft, and it takes all of Eric's willpower to move his hand away. "Would you like something to drink? I've got coffee, milk...I think some juice."

"Do you have any wine?"

Eric is surprised by the suggestion. The last time they drank wine together, she winded up naked in his hotel room. "Um, yes. Of course."

Sookie starts laughing softly. "I was kidding, Eric. Water's fine."

Heat creeps up Eric's neck. Of course she doesn't want wine. Was he really so eager to get her tipsy again? Did she think- "Water it is."

Eric grabs two glasses from his rather sparse cabinets and fills them with filtered tap water. Sookie is already sitting at the table, so he places the glasses down and sits across from her. She reaches for a glass and takes a small sip. Eric is drawn to her pink lips as they press against the glass. _How is it that every movement this woman makes turns me on, _he thinks.

Sookie's eyes flick to Eric's and she flushes slightly under his direct gaze. She clears her throat, "So."

"So." Eric pauses. "What would you like to talk about?"

"Us."

"Right. Where do we start?"

"I like my job," Sookie blurts out quickly. Her face flushes further. "I like my job, and I don't want to lose it."

The words hit Eric hard. If she wants the job- that must mean she doesn't want him. The thought hurts more than he thought it would. Sookie. Beautiful Sookie doesn't want him. He takes a short breath before responding, "I won't fire you. After all, this is all my fault. I'm not going to punish you because I was-"

"An asshole?"

Eric smiles ruefully. "I was going to say immature, but sure, let's go with that."

"Well you are an asshole."

"I know. It wasn't on purpose though. I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well you did!"

When Eric looks up, he's surprised to find that Sookie's eyes are starting to tear. She breaks his gaze and starts rifling through her purse, eventually pulling out a crumpled up tissue. "I said I wasn't going to cry," she mutters. "I _don't_ cry. I've just been really stressed out the past couple of days."

Without thinking, Eric reaches across the table and grabs one of Sookie's hands. Surprisingly, she doesn't pull away, and he rubs his thumb across the warm skin. "And that's my fault. I know it." Everything is falling to pieces. All he wanted to do was help Sookie, make her happy, and hopefully build a relationship with her. But now he's hurt her, betrayed her trust.

"Why didn't you just ask me out?"

"Excuse me?" The question comes from nowhere, and Eric is left confused.

"If you liked me, why didn't you just ask me out instead of offering me a job I obviously wasn't qualified for?"

Eric is stunned. He never expected her to ask that. "I don't know. I thought-"

He pauses. "I thought that after Bill you'd need some time away from men."

"So you decided to trick me just like Bill Compton did?"

"I am not the same as Bill Compton."

"Are you sure? You both lied to me. You both built relationships off of false pretences. You both-"

Eric stands up suddenly, shoving his chair to the side. Sookie looks up at him with shocked eyes as he strides around the table towards her. He leans down and gently grabs her by the chin so that she has to lock eyes with him. "Don't you dare compare me to Bill Compton. He's scum. He's a liar. He's worthless. What I did was wrong, but I only did it because I cared about you. I was only trying to make your life better. I only-"

And then Sookie is grabbing Eric by the back of the neck and pressing her lips to his own. Her kisses are fast and feverish. Eric's mind can't keep up, but his body responds instantly. With strong arms, he lifts Sookie from her chair so that she's standing up, pressing her hot, tight body against his own. Her lips part, and Eric greedily kisses her, moaning as she slips a warm tongue into his mouth. Her hands are everywhere at once, running down his shoulders, tracing the waistband of his pants. Eric tugs her closer so that she's pressed against his erection, and Sookie grinds against him, emitting soft noises that harden Eric further.

Everything is happening so quickly. One minute she's yelling at him, and the next second, she's trying to claw his clothes off. Eric's first thought is to drag her to the bedroom and finish what they started the other night. But his second thought has him pulling his mouth away from Sookie's reddened lips.

This can't happen. Not again. Not before they finish talking.

Eric grabs Sookie's hands and gently presses her back into her seat, creating some distance between the two of them. It's like there's electric fire crackling in the air, and if he stays too close to her, he won't be able to resist the temptation. "What?" She asks, breathless. "I'm not drunk this time. Not unless you spiked the water."

Eric tries to smile, but he can't. "We were supposed to be talking."

Sookie looks down at Eric's raised pants, and she smirks. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself."

"Oh, I most definitely was."

"So what's the problem?"

"Everything." Eric sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "We can't just have sex and expect our problems to go away."

"We can't?" Sookie licks her lips and smiles coyly, and for a second, Eric forgets what he was saying.

"No. We can't. If anything- sex just makes this more complicated. You said you wanted to keep your job. You can't keep your job while we're having sex."

"Why not?"

"We both know that won't end well. Besides- it's against company policy." Eric walks towards Sookie but is careful to still keep some distance between them. "I told you this already, Sookie. I want whatever you want, but you have to make a decision."

"You or the job?"

"Exactly."

Sookie huffs and crosses her arm. She sticks out her lip, almost like a petulant child. "Well that's a load of shit, isn't it? What should I do?"

Eric looks down at his pants. He's still very hard. "I don't think I'm the right person to ask."

"No. I guess you aren't." Sookie sighs. "I like you, Eric. I _want _you." The direct words fill Eric with lust. "But I also want this job. And if I've learned anything so far in life- a job is a lot more dependable than a man."

"You could depend on me."

"You say that now, and I believe that you have good intentions. But there's no way to promise you won't break my heart."

"So that's your decision then? You're going to keep the job?"

Sookie bites her lip. "Yes," she says softly.

"Okay." Eric thought he would feel some kind of relief when Sookie reached a decision, but all he feels is let down, empty.

Sookie stands up and gathers her purse. As she heads towards the door, she passes Eric. She stands on her tiptoes and presses a chaste, warm kiss to his cheek. Her lips linger for a few moments before she says, "I'll see you at work, Eric," and walks away.

**A/N ****– Sorry it's been so long since the last update, but it's summer now, so hopefully I'll be getting chapters out more quickly. **

**I hope you guys aren't too let down by this chapter- it's just some set up for a brighter future : ) **

**Thanks for reading and reviewing! **


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